Microsoft. NET

    * .NET is Microsoft's new Internet and Web strategy
    * .NET is NOT a new operating system
    * .NET is a new Internet and Web based infrastructure
    * .NET delivers software as Web Services
    * .NET is a framework for universal services
    * .NET is a server centric computing model
    * .NET will run in any browser on any platform
    * .NET is based on the newest Web standards

Currently it supports C++, C#, Visual Basic, JScript (The Microsoft version of JavaScript) and COBOL. Third-party languages - like Eiffel, Perl, Python, Smalltalk, and others - will also be available for building future .NET Framework applications. The new Visual Studio.NET is a common development environment for the new .NET Framework. It provides a feature-rich application execution environment, simplified development and easy integration between a number of different development languages.

.NET Internet Standards

.NET is built on the following Internet standards:
* HTTP, the communication protocol between Internet Applications
* XML, the format for exchanging data between Internet Applications
* SOAP, the standard format for requesting Web Services
* UDDI, the standard to search and discover Web Services

The .NET Framework is the infrastructure for the new Microsoft .NET Platform. The .NET Framework is a common environment for building, deploying, and running Web Services and Web Applications. The .NET Framework contains common class libraries - like ADO.NET, ASP.NET and Windows Forms - to provide advanced standard services that can be integrated into a variety of computer systems. The .NET Framework is language neutral.