Bangkok--20 Dec--Hill & Knowlton Today Microsoft (Thailand) Limited announced its ready to launch Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 for Thai customers to purchase in January 2008. Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 enable developers at all levels to rapidly create connected applications that offer compelling user experiences for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, mobile devices and the Web. “The highly social and visual nature of the Web has fundamentally changed what users expect from all applications they interact with, regardless of whether it’s on a customer-facing Web site or Windows rich client application, or a desktop business application built using Microsoft Office. Building business application on Microsoft Office, the tools they use every day, dramatically improves productivity and helps users respond quickly to changing business needs.” said Yik Joon Ho, DPE Director, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited “Traditionally, organizations have been hard pressed to deliver the richer, more connected applications and services they need to boost productivity, drive revenue and stay ahead of the competition. With Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5, it is easy for developers to use the skills they already have to build compelling applications that take advantage of the latest platforms.” The .NET Framework is the managed code programming model for Microsoft Windows. Developers use the .NET Framework to build services and applications for Windows clients, Windows Servers, or Windows-powered devices; or to build interconnections between disparate components in a service-oriented architecture. With the version 3.5 of the .NET Framework, Microsoft is extending the capabilities in the framework with new support for internet protocols, peer-to-peer communication, device programmability, and data handling. The .NET Framework provides a single, common programming model supporting the broadest set of applications. Customers already using earlier versions of the .NET Framework will find the .NET Framework 3.5 to be familiar and easy to adopt. Another new breed of applications, Office Business Applications (OBA) bring together the front-office and back-office providing information workers actionable information through the familiar and powerful Microsoft Office system. OBAs are an example of Microsoft’s Software + Services strategy, extending the power of the Microsoft Office 2007 system as a powerful platform to enable businesses to get the most value out of existing investments, taking advantage of great software and making sure that solutions are services-capable to give customers the choice and flexibility they need. “Visual Studio Tools for Office are now found within the Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition. Developers can use existing skill sets and familiar tools within Visual Studio to take advantage of the functionality available in the Microsoft Office 2007 system to create feature-rich, highly collaborative solutions for their customers” said Ho, “With the delivery of Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5, developers and development organizations now have the tools that enable them to be more productive, take advantage of all the latest platform advances on Windows, Office and the Web, and collaborate more effectively throughout the software lifecycle. These latest releases are parts of the broader Microsoft Application Platform, a portfolio of technology capabilities and core products that help organizations develop, deploy and manage applications and IT infrastructure. They also mark another major milestone leading up to the global launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 on February 27, 2008 and the Thailand launch on March 25, 2008 in Bangkok. Customers can now buy Visual Studio 2005 with MSDN Subscription today and get Visual Studio 2008 once it becomes available. More information about all of the products is available at http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio or http://www.microsoft.com/Thailand/visualstudio . For further information, please contact: Suphada Jaidee Hill & Knowlton Thailand Tel: 0-2627 3501 ext 209 Fax. 0-2627 3510 Email: [email protected]