Microsoft .NET strategy

{{Short description|Marketing plan}}

{{Redirect-distinguish|Microsoft .NET|.NET Framework|.NET}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

The Microsoft .NET strategy is a marketing plan that Microsoft followed in the early 2000s. Steve Ballmer described it as the company's "most ambitious undertaking since Internet Strategy Day in 1995". In support of this strategy, between 2000 and 2002, Microsoft released ".NET" branded updates to its works, including Visual Studio .NET, Visual Basic .NET, .NET Passport, .NET My Services, .NET Framework, ASP.NET and ADO.NET. A Windows .NET Server was also announced. Microsoft had plans to include Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server and MSN into this strategy.{{cite web|last1=Deckmyn|first1=Dominique|title=Update: Microsoft stakes future on .Net strategy|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2596383/app-development/update--microsoft-stakes-future-on--net-strategy.html|website=Computerworld|publisher=IDG|date=23 June 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001012522/https://www.computerworld.com/article/2596383/update--microsoft-stakes-future-on--net-strategy.html|archive-date=1 October 2022|access-date=9 May 2025}}{{cite web|title=Advancing Microsoft's .NET strategy|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/advancing-microsofts-net-strategy/|website=ZDNet|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=14 August 2000}}{{cite web|last1=Serwin|first1=Sebastian|title=The Microsoft's .NET strategy|url=http://techgenix.com/the_microsofts_net_strategy/|website=TechGenix|date=19 July 2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229212242/https://techgenix.com/the_microsofts_net_strategy/|access-date=9 May 2025|archive-date=29 February 2024}}{{cite web|last1=Thurrott|first1=Paul|title=Windows .NET Server: A First Look|url=http://www.itprotoday.com/management-mobility/windows-net-server-first-look|website=ITPro|publisher=Informa USA|date=29 September 2002}}{{cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/myservices/ |title=Microsoft .NET My Services - Family Home Page |publisher=Microsoft |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011107125715/http://www.microsoft.com/myservices/ |archive-date=November 7, 2001 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}

By 2003, however, the .NET strategy had dwindled into a failed branding campaign because the brand had failed to articulate what Microsoft had in mind in the first place. As such, Windows .NET Server was released under the title of Windows Server 2003.{{cite web|title=Windows Server's identity crisis|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/windows-servers-identity-crisis/|website=CNET|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=9 January 2003}} Since then, Visual Studio and .NET Passport have been stripped of ".NET" in their brandings. However, Microsoft and the rest of the computing industry use ".NET" to indicate close association with .NET Framework, e.g. .NET Compiler Platform, .NET Foundation and .NET Reflector.