Microsoft -

Microsoft launched its .NET framework -- a programming model to help developers build applications for Windows -- and its Visual Studio application development environment in 2002.

The core components of the .NET platform are its Common Language Runtime, which lets nearly any language compile down to an intermediate language, and the Framework Class Library, which provides core functions for any language.

Goals: -

• Simplified Deployment

• Simplified Development

• Reliability

• Security

• Component Infrastructure

• Language Integration

• Internet Interoperation