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Microsoft admits it has made mistakes with .Net, and that many partners and customers are confused about what it is and where it is going.

The confusion is not surprising. Before the so-called '.Net 2.0' relaunch in July 2002, dozens of products were considered to be part of .Net. In addition, there are .Net components that are not packaged products per se, and there are concepts such as the '.Net Framework' which are not actually for sale.

Although Microsoft admits to branding problems, it is unlikely it will clear all this up for some time. But ultimately, .Net technology is likely to become so ubiquitous in Microsoft products that there will be no point in adding the .Net label.

Overview

.Net is Microsoft's strategy to implement strong support for web services technology - such as the XML and the SOAP messaging protocols - across its entire product portfolio and to introduce a new family of management and development products to support web services concepts.

Microsoft admits it will take another three or four years to fully implement its vision. Analysts think there are still holes, especially in security, middleware and at the high end. These will be addressed over time. In the meantime, here is a summary of some of the key .Net components, and the Infoconomist perspective on what happens next.

Out now and in the labs

.Net Framework: A series of class libraries (objects and methods), plus Microsoft's ASP .Net web server, and the CLR virtual machine (below).

Comment: It really means a family of products, some old, some not yet developed, tied together by a common vision, rather than a binding technology. Will continue to be played up for marketing reasons.

Visual Basic .Net: The latest release of the world's most (numerically) popular application development tool, re-launched in February 2002 with native XML support.

Comment: Significance to .Net has been exaggerated, confusing partners and customers. Just another development language.

CLR (common language runtime): Microsoft's equivalent to Java's virtual machine.

Comment: A crucial component of .Net that will receive considerable attention. It makes software development and deployment simpler and handles security, program and memory management. But expect its role in tying .Net to Windows to make it the focus of anti trust allegations and of open source cloning initiatives.

C#: Microsoft's object oriented programming language. Microsoft says it bridges the gap between C++ and Visual Basic.

Comment: Microsoft's answer to Java, and, for some, an upgrade path from Visual Basic. C# is so similar to Java that many programmers can't see the point in it. But it will still be important because Java programmers can quickly adapt to it, and because Microsoft's development tools are widely used.

Active Server Pages (ASP+): This enables developers to grab server-based services and plug them together on a screen. A key enabling part of .Net.

Comment: ASP+ is an important tool, admired by some rivals. It is useful for end users and specialists, enabling them to develop web services 'applications' without getting too technical. But it is still in its infancy.

Visual .Net studio: Microsoft's development environment for building and integrating applications and applying them in a web services architecture.

Comment: An important and highly regarded product that incorporates C#, CLR deployment, support for most languages, and much more. Will steer Microsoft's army of third-party developers towards greater use of web services technologies.

J#: A tool for Java developers to write code allowing their applications to execute on the CLR virtual machine.

Comment: Not a key component, but will be used to lure the J2EE community into the Microsoft world.

.Net My Services: A series of consumer-focused applications allowing users to store and automatically share personal data online, including financial information necessary for ecommerce

Comment: First known as Hailstorm, and initially intended as a Microsoft hosted global service, .Net My Services are now being urgently repackaged as a set of enabling products for use by its enterprise customers. Passport, Microsoft's authentication tool, will control access to applications and associated personal information.

"It needs more thinking through, but it's still a valid vision," says Phil Cross, Microsoft developer .Net marketing manager.

BizTalk: Microsoft's XML based integration tool.

Comment: Biztalk's role interlinking XML documents and processes is key to Microsoft, but analysts have expressed concerns about resilience, security and lack of support for emerging new XML standards.

Sharepoint Portal Server: Microsoft tool for building server-based portals.

Comment: Microsoft will overhaul the product to make it a key .Net services integration and delivery platform.

Yukon: A version of Microsoft's SQL Server that will include native support for crucial web services protocols such as XML and SOAP.

Comment: Important, but no delivery date and no more than other datatabase vendors are doing.

Longhorn: A new web services rewrite of Windows.

Comment: "This is when its get exciting," says Bill Gates. Due in about two years time, this will be a crucial step in recasting Microsoft as a web services technology provider. Many customers may wait until they know details before deciding which web services technology to adopt.

Windows .NET server: This is an upgrade to Windows 2000 Server. It may eventually be important in hosting and serving up web services applications. Currently promised for 2003.

Comment: A key product, but still in test mode. Some of the work in application and service availability can be handled at the application server and application level.

Windows Media Center: A set of products that turns a PC into a home server and entertainment centre.

Comment: Will include some web services function, but miscast as a key part of .Net.

Palladium trusted hardware: A hardware add-on to be built into client devices to handle encryption, access, and authentication.

Comment: Although identified by Microsoft as a key part of .Net, better security is needed for all ebusiness. Other security systems may be more widely deployed.

Office.Net: A reworked version of Office that will enable Office applications to draw in data and applications services from enterprise applications using web services protocols.

Comment: Will be important, especially to business users, and will help secure Office's position on the desktop. But there is no reason why it should use .Net, rather than J2EE.