What is .NET?
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.NET is the result of a complete make-over of Microsoft’s software development
products, and forms part of the company’s new strategy for delivering software
as a service. The key features that .NET offers include:
1. .NET Platform: The .NET platform includes the .NET Framework and tools
    to build and operate services, clients, and so on. ASP.NET, the focus of this
    book, is a part of the .NET Framework.
    2. .NET Products: .NET products currently include MSN.NET, Office.NET,
      Visual Studio.NET, and Windows Server 2003, originally known as Windows
      .NET Server. This suite of extensively revised systems provides developers
      with a friendly, usable environment in which they may create applications
      with a range of programming languages including C++. NET, Visual Basic.
      NET, ASP.NET, and C#. Because all these products are built on top of
      .NET, they all share key components, and underneath their basic syntaxes
      you’ll find they have much in common.
        3. .NET My Services: An initiative formerly known as "Hailstorm", .NET My Services is a set of XML Web Services1 currently being provided by a host of
        partners, developers, and organizations that are hoping to build corporate
        services and applications for devices and applications, as well as the Internet.
        The collection of My Services currently extends to passport, messenger, contacts,
        email, calendars, profiles, lists, wallets, location, document stores, application
        settings, favorite Websites, devices owned, and preferences for receiving
        alerts.