Where will .NET lead us? In the first of three parts, Jon Honeyball recalls the birth of a new realm in computing.
When it comes to large-scale sweeping changes in the computing wo
Where will .NET lead us? In the first of three parts, Jon Honeyball recalls the birth of a new realm in computing.
When it comes to large-scale sweeping changes in the computing world, .NET change is set to be one of the largest ever. It will be bigger than moving from DOS to Windows, or from Windows to the Web, and its likely to have an impact on everything Microsoft does and consequently on the PC world as a whole.
So what is .NET? To be honest, it isnt too clear yet. Many components, tools and service infrastructures have been discussed and theres some early beta code. However, I believe were only seeing part of a bigger picture to be unveiled over time. It would be nice to believe that Microsoft has all the pieces in place in its corporate head and that theres a big vision here. But its more realistic to think that Microsoft has a direction, a view of a new computing world in the near to mid-future, and that .NET is its way of expressing that drive and determination.
To get the big picture of .NET, it needs to be looked at from several angles. This month Ill focus on the historical perspective; next month Ill examine the needs of the current development environment; and in the final part of the series, Ill explore the potential changes over the next five years, including how online service provision for aspects of a solution will become a reality.
Ill try to set the scene, as well as lay out the key components of what I think is behind Microsofts vision. I cant claim to be right, but Im convinced Ive got most of the big picture. After all, in discussions with numerous people at Microsoft over the last year, its clear that some future aspects of .NET are still pipedreams, so firm timescales and defined interfaces arent in place yet.
.NET isnt a product per se, a badge to be slapped onto a cardboard box its the description of a different world that Microsoft wants to take us to. Will it work? Who knows, but never underestimate the ability of a company the size of Microsoft to deliver on its vision.
To really understand the significance of .NET, we have to take a historical viewpoint. Once we understand the successes and failures of the past, we can make a reasoned decision about whats happening now and where things need to go in the future.