Microsoft Releases Beta Version Of .Net Compact Framework

Microsoft

Unveiled at the Microsoft Mobility Developer Conference in London, the .Net compact framework is essentially a scaled-down version of Microsoft's XML Web services suitable for portable devices such as Pocket PCs and Smart Phones.

"We've shrunk it down by removing some of the server-side components that aren't relevant on a mobile device," said John Montgomery, group product manager for the .Net developer platform group at Microsoft.

At the same time, Microsoft unveiled the availability of Smart Device Extensions for Visual Studio .Net. The extensions are designed to simplify mobile application development by providing a development environment for .Net mobile that is similar to the environment already used for .Net server and client applications.

Microsoft first signaled its intention to release .Net components for the mobile market last year.

At Bear River Associates, a mobile solution provider in Oakland, Calif., engineers have just started to work with the .Net tools, said President Anthony Meadow.

"They are more excited about it than I had would have expected," he said. "Microsoft really seems to have studied Java very, very carefully and have made development simpler than is possible in some ways with Java."

In particular, Meadow is impressed with the ease in which .Net ties in with Web services.

But Meadow also criticized .Net for its reliance on devices based on Microsoft operating systems.

"Part of Microsoft's motivation for [.Net compact framework and tools is to make it harder for people to develop for certain other [mobile platforms," he said. "Certainly it's frustrating for us and our enterprise customers to be forced to pick platforms on the basis of what development tools we have access to."

Also at the show, Microsoft unveiled plans to help promote .Net mobile applications through a Mobile2Market program. Montgomery said the program will require ISVs to certify applications based on networking and security guidelines and then seek to promote those applications to OEMs and carriers for distribution.