Microsoft Expands Visual Studio Capabilities With Teamprise Acquisition

Microsoft intends to integrate Teamprise Client Suite technology into the Visual Studio product line beginning with Visual Studio 2010, a plan the software giant is positioning as an effort to bridge the .Net and Java development worlds.

Combining Teamprise and Visual Studio will help developers using Eclipse-based development environments -- such as IBM's Rational tool set, or multiple operating systems, including Linux, Unix and Mac OS X -- build applications with Visual Studio. That will make it easier to assemble cross-platform applications for heterogeneous environments, according to Microsoft.

Developing in mixed environments today can mean working with multiple, disconnected tool sets that require different skills and training, not to mention more time and expense.

Microsoft unveiled the deal just as it is about to kick off its European TechEd conference this week in Berlin. It did not disclose terms of the acquisition.

Microsoft is acquiring SourceGear's Teamprise Foundation Server and Teamprise Client Suite, the latter including Teamprise Plug-in for Eclipse, Teamprise Explorer and Teamprise Command-Line Client. Teamprise Foundation Server manages such development chores as version control, work-item tracking, build management, process guidance and business intelligence.

Microsoft said customers would be able to jointly purchase the Teamprise Client Suite tools and one Teamprise Foundation Server license. Customers that have Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate with MSDN will get the Teamprise Client Suite as part of their original subscription purchase.