The question on the mind of CIO’s and CTO’s...

Can my company afford to wait?

Should We Go .Net?

There is a revolution afoot. Paradigms are being shifted and the culture of programming itself will no doubt be permanently altered. Even if you don't ever intend to do any .NET programming yourself, the changes taking place, as companies retool for the .NET framework, will improve your life. Just as Java burst on the scene a few years ago and changed programming irreversibly, so now .NET is bursting upon us and will likely shift the paradigm again - this time much more. Many from both the computer science and practical programming community believe that .Net is the most compelling software development tool the world has ever seen. Not only is it the future of Windows programming it also presents a very high probability of overtaking other methodologies (including Java) in becoming the standard for application development and deployment. Because .Net is so vast and can appeal to so many points of reference, sysme1.Net seminars (page 19) provide the non technical building blocks needed to piece together all of .Net and what it has to offer.
Windows today, as most of us know, is reaching its extensible limits. By building .Net, Microsoft responded to competitive pressures with a sophisticated vehicle for positioning all Microsoft products, office suites, servers, developer tools and services to be potentially compatible and executable on non-Intel (IBM, SUN, HP) and other platforms. Besides being one of the best programming and design tools - it is also (because of the .Net CLR - virtual machine) theoretically capable of becoming a Trojan Horse that can carry all .Net developed products to hardware and operating systems platforms that were previously untouchable by Microsoft.
When adopted properly - .Net is capable of producing positive effects for any organization, from bottom line results to design and code level productivity never before achievable with other technologies.

Some Pain, but Enormous Gain When Going to .Net...
The up front costs of .NET migration are minimal when compared to long term benefits. Initial training and short term productivity loss will dominate those expenses. Within months .Net's long-term major benefit rapidly appears - significantly reduced Total Cost of Ownership (increased productivity reduced maintenance and lower hardware costs) - a key issue in the minds of CIO's, CTO's and IT mangers.

Radically Different.
There may be similarities and compatibilities but Microsoft's .Net framework is radically different from the Windows architecture of the past. At the heart of .Net is the concept of connecting to anything, anywhere and doing it quickly, easily and economically. Some
observers believe that .Net is so radically different from traditional IT that its power will change how an organization builds and manages systems. To many, .Net is not only a technology but a powerful management tool that is capable of radically re-culturalizing how corporations use and view IT resources in their overall corporate strategy.

small things BIG Outcomes...
Today, corporations are finding it necessary to rethink their IT strategies. The re-engineering process includes evaluating alternative technologies, selective project postponement and, in many cases, across the board cutbacks. To date, it is estimated that Microsoft has spent over $10 billion on the first phase of a replacement (.Net) for Windows as we know it. The core objectives of the .Net R&D effort are connective computing beyond the desktop (PDA's, tablets, mobile devices, set top boxes, etc) and programmer productivity. With its first .Net deliverable - Visual Studio.Net, Microsoft has met and exceeded any and all expectations. For many corporations that have experienced .Net , the result (graph above) has been the same: a quantum leap in programmer productivity and system development results, made possible with only a small investment in programmer training.