The Microsoft .NET Framework is Microsoft’s integrated services strategy to connect information, people, systems, and devices through software. Integrated across the Microsoft platform, Microsoft .NET technology provides the ability to quickly build, deploy, manage, and use connected, security-enhanced solutions with integrated deployment services. Microsoft .NET-connected solutions enable businesses to integrate their systems more rapidly and in a more agile manner and help them realize the promise of information anytime, anywhere, on any device.
The Microsoft .NET Framework is a general-purpose software development platform, similar to Java. At its core is a virtual machine that turns intermediate language (IL) into machine code. High-level language compilers for C#, VB.NET and C++ are provided to turn source code into IL. C# is a new programming language, similar to Java. An extensive class library is included, featuring all the functionality one might expect from a contemporary development platform - Windows GUI development (Windows Forms), database access (ADO.NET), Web development (ASP.NET), Web services, XML, and so on.