Microsoft is launching three new products that directly impact the Web development community. These three products are as follows:
December 2005
The last time Microsoft coordinated upgrades for Visual Studio and SQL Server (2005 versions) was December 2005. The Web server market share at the end of 2005 clearly favored open source solutions, namely Apache:
December 2007
Fast forward two years and the marketplace has changed considerably. The Web server market share at the end of 2007 reveals that Microsoft has clearly made its Web services initiative (aka .Net) a marketing priority:
Implications
It should be no surprise that .Net is one of The 8 Hottest Skills for '08. Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 are three tool sets used in developing ASP.NET and Ajax applications.
As Microsoft gears up to promote its latest Web services offerings, it will likely continue to capture market share from its open source competitors, especially in mid- to large size companies. Microsoft may even overtake LAMP (Linux | Apache | MySQL | PHP) and become the preferred Web hosting environment by the end of 2008!
Heroes Happen Here
Microsoft is coordinating a nationwide tour called Heroes Happen Here to promote the 2008 upgrade to its popular Web development tools. The tour kicks off in Los Angeles at the end of February. Registration is now open for most dates extending through May and covering more than 60 cities.
The Boston date is Tuesday, March 18, 2008. The event will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
Register now! This FREE event will fill up fast.
