Microsoft to debut developer tools
Source: CNet News
Microsoft is set to take its all-important Web services plan to its most important clientele: software developers.
After four years of development and two years of marketing hype, Microsoft will on Wednesday release Visual Studio.Net, a bundle of development tools crucial to translating its Windows monopoly into a key advantage in the growing market for Web services technology.
The tools bundle replaces the existing Visual Studio tools--used by some 5 million developers, according to Microsoft--and includes several new features, along with updates to existing products such as the company's popular Visual Basic and Visual C++ tools.
More importantly, the tools are Microsoft's chief weapon in a battle for software developer mind share between its .Net Web services plan and rival technologies sold by Sun Microsystems and other Java backers.
Software makers have been racing to deliver tools for building Web services, which software companies claim make it easier to design and build Internet-based business software. Standing in Microsoft's path are rivals Sun, IBM, Oracle, BEA Systems and others that offer an alternative way to build Web services based on the Java programming language. Sun claims there are more than 3 million Java developers worldwide.
