Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of the Microsoft .NET Micro Framework version 2.5. This latest release provides developers and device-makers with support for Web Services on Devices and a native Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol stack, bringing powerful new options for network discovery and connectivity to smaller resource-constrained devices.

    "The .NET Micro Framework extends Microsoft's embedded offerings to an even smaller world of connected devices," stated Colin Miller, product unit manager of the .NET Micro Framework at Microsoft. "With version 2.5, we've made significant updates to the platform in response to partner feedback. Our partners continue to validate the platform. The .NET Micro Framework is already being used in a variety of current hardware offerings in the home and industrial automation markets, the automotive industry, in PC peripherals, and in a wide variety of innovative consumer devices."

    The .NET Micro Framework opens the world of embedded development to desktop and enterprise .NET developers by combining the reliability and efficiency of managed code with the power of Microsoft Visual Studio. With the .NET Micro Framework, developers can use the powerful .NET languages, technologies and tools to develop smarter small devices faster and at lower cost.

    The Microsoft .NET Micro Framework extends the advantages of .NET and the Microsoft Visual Studio development system to a class of smaller, less expensive, and more resource-constrained devices than the .NET Compact Framework or the standard .NET framework. The .NET Micro Framework also offers opportunities for differentiation within a product line, with more sophisticated devices running Windows Embedded CE and simpler, lower-cost devices running the .NET Micro Framework.

    With .NET Micro Framework SDK, you can develop your embedded solutions in C# using a subset of the .NET libraries focused on embedded applications. Your development environment is Visual Studio, where you can take advantage of its powerful editing, object browsing, project management, and debugging capabilities. These capabilities are available when using the .NET Micro Framework SDK's extensible device emulation system or on real hardware.

.NET Micro Framework Version 2.5 Updates and Enhancements:
    - Web Services on Devices technology preview. Version 2.5 of the .NET Micro Framework includes a Web Services on Devices implementation   compatible with the implementation built into Windows Vista and   supported by the other Microsoft Windows Embedded platforms. With   Web Services on Devices, devices can discover and communicate with   Windows-based PCs or with other devices on the network with no user   configuration.
    - Native TCP/IP stack support. Version 2.5 of the .NET Micro Framework   adds a native TCP/IP stack to the platform, making it easier than   ever for original equipment manufacturers to build platforms with   network connectivity.