1.8 The Future of .NET

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.NET is a huge bet for Microsoft, one it has to win if it is to continue to dominate the world of software. One strand of this success will comprise technical innovations, which will enable Microsoft to remain ahead of the competition.

Microsoft is investing over $5 billion per year in research and development (R&D). This in turn provides innovative product features and new techniques for advancing the range of Microsoft software opportunities.

A significant player in this R&D effort is Microsoft Research. Based across five sites, including locations in Redmond, WA; Cambridge, U.K.; and Beijing, China, Microsoft Research (www.research.microsoft.com) employs over 500 people dedicated to basic and applied research in computer science. The scope of the work undertaken is huge and touches every aspect of computing, from voice recognition to graphics and database search algorithms. In parallel to this, there is a technology-transfer function whose role is to convert any useful findings into products or features for Microsoft product teams.

Microsoft is also undergoing a change in its 'go-to-market' strategy as it starts to embrace a solution sales approach. This moves Microsoft sales people away from the features and benefits of individual products to focusing on business problems and how they may be addressed by a range of Microsoft products sold as a solution.

As this book is written in the autumn of 2002, Microsoft has realized the tremendous effort it still needs to put into making .NET a success. We are now entering the second phase of .NET as organizations slowly start to realize the implications of XML, Web services, and the .NET strategy for their business and information technology needs.

The most exciting phase is yet to come!

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