Microsoft .NET: A Vision and a Revolution

by Paul Greenfield

Microsoft's .NET is many things. It is not a product or even just a marketing campaign; it is an all-encompassing vision of a future Internet and the new ways of working and living that the new Internet will make possible. This vision sees a new Web, one that connects people to services and information everywhere and makes collaboration and sharing information much easier. It sees Web servers changing from no more than enhanced terminal and file servers to providers of Web-based services and stores for personalized information. Businesses can weave together these "Web services" with their own applications to build customized applications, tailored to meet the needs of their clients and customers. People can have access to their personal information and services from any device, anywhere. Computing will truly be woven into the fabric of everyday life.