.NET is an open-source framework developed and maintained by Microsoft that allows the creation of a variety of applications including websites, mobile apps, web apps and desktop software. It is widely regarded around the globe for giving developers the capability to create reliable, secure, and scalable solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes whether that be SMEs or Multinational Corporations.
The .NET framework offers a number of different capabilities, here we explore some of them in more detail -
Applications built in .NET can run across all major operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux as well as both mobile and desktop devices. This negates the need for multiple development projects and instead, requires only one single code base.
.NET has extensive libraries and frameworks such as ASP.NET along with a wide range of tools that enable faster time-to-market for business solutions. This can help businesses remain competitive by quickly addressing needs.
As part of the Microsoft Ecosystem, .NET offers seamless integration with other Microsoft technologies used in businesses including Azure and Office 365. This can prevent integration challenges, improve productivity and help keep the technologies within an environment consistent.
The .NET development framework can be optimised for high performance across it's web, desktop and cloud based applications. It offers caching, code optimisation, garbage collection reduction and asynchronous programming all of which help improve responsiveness.
Due to the fact .NET is open-source and thus, has reusable code across platforms, development and maintenance costs can be greatly reduced.
.NET offers robust security features including encryption, authentication and in built threat protection help safeguard business data and operations.
As we have covered above, .NET can be used to build a wide range of applications through it's many different frameworks and tools. Here we explore some of them in more detail.
.NET is used to build websites primarily through the ASP.NET framework, which supports modern, cross-platform web development using tools like the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern and Razor Pages for efficient, organised coding. With features like Blazor for interactive UI, Entity Framework Core for database management and cross-platform hosting, .NET offers dynamic, scalable, and high performance websites.
.NET is used to build desktop apps via frameworks such as WPF, Windows Forms and .NET MAUI. These frameworks allow developers to create rich, high-performance applications for not only Windows but also cross-platform environments. They offer advanced UI design capabilities, integration with native APIs and built in security measures, making .NET a flexible and powerful platform for developing both simple and complex desktop software applications.
.NET allows for mobile app development primarily through .NET MAUI and to a lesser degree following it's end of support date in May 2024, Xamarin. Both of these frameworks have cross-platform capabilities requiring only a single codebase that works on iOS, Android, macOS and Windows. They provide access to native APIs, support for shared business logic as well as integration with cloud services, enabling developers to create high-performance, feature-rich mobile applications.
.NET is used to build cloud-based solutions via it's integration with Microsoft Azure services. This enables developers to leverage features including Azure App Service, Azure Functions and Azure SQL Database for scalability and reliability. It supports microservices architecture, RESTful APIs, containerisation with Docker and CI/CD workflows through Azure DevOps.
Our developers have many years of experience working with .NET, it is a core strength of our team and enables us to deliver comprehensive application development and development services tailored to small businesses, large enterprises and everything in between. We specialise in creating websites, web applications, desktop apps and cloud based solutions in .NET and are firm advocates of this versatile framework.
Our dedicated team adopts a personalised approach to every project, ensuring tailored, high-quality results from start to finish. Based entirely in the UK, we guarantee that your project will be handled by our skilled professionals without any outsourcing. With a deep understanding of .NET's capabilities and drawbacks, our team is equipped to unlock endless possibilities for your application development needs.
Q) Is .NET front-end or back-end?
A) .NET supports both front-end and back-end programming languages and frameworks
Q) What is the best language for .NET Development?
A) The most popular language for .NET development is C#, it is not possible to say which is the 'best' language because this is open to debate. Other popular languages used for .NET development are also Microsoft technologies - Visual Basic and F#.
Q) Is a .NET developer the same as a Software Developer?
A) A .NET developer can be a Software developer and vice versa, a .NET developer specialises in building software specifically for the Microsoft Windows platform. A Software Developer is a more generic term and may build software for the Microsoft platform as well as other platforms.
Q) What is the difference between .NET and C#?
A) The two are both Microsoft technologies and work together, C# is the programming language and .NET is the framework that C# programs are built with and run on.
If you dont like filling in these forms, or you would prefer to speak on the phone or via email then please use one of the below:
0115 772 2751