REDMOND, Wash. — April 11, 2010 —Microsoft Corp. announced the general availability of Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4. Together, these technologies simplify the entire development process, enabling developers to target new platforms and build high-quality applications.

Enhancements for Everyone

Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 have something for every developer. The new editor, now using Windows Presentation Foundation, delivers a more flexible, feature-rich environment that supports concepts such as the use of multiple monitors. This enables a developer to have one monitor with code, another with the user interface designer, and yet another with database structure.

With support for the latest Microsoft releases, developers can use their existing skills to create more types of applications than ever. Built-in support for Windows 7 multitouch and “ribbon” interfaces delivers stunning applications to end users. For the first time, developers have integrated access to SharePoint functionality into the Visual Studio integrated development environment. Windows Azure tools make it easy to quickly develop, debug, test and deploy cloud applications from within the familiar Visual Studio environment. Built-in support for ASP.NET Model-View-Controller gives developers the flexibility to separately update the appearance and core business logic of Web applications. Silverlight 4 creates a whole new way to deliver compelling applications that run inside and outside the browser. To address the growing complexity of software development, Visual Studio 2010 provides powerful tools for the entire team. IntelliTrace, a “time machine” for developers and testers, makes noн reproducible bugs virtually a thing of the past by recording the application’s execution history.

.NET Framework 4 adds additional support for industry standards, more language choice, new support for high-performance middle-tier applications including parallel programming, and side-by-side installation with .NET Framework 3.5. With the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile, the size of the runtime has been decreased by over 80 percent, making it easier for developers to get applications, and therefore users, up and running faster.

Silverlight 4, offers powerful media and business application. New features in Silverlight 4 include extended out-of-browser capabilities, enhancements for enterprise application developers, and more than 60 customizable pre-written controls to quickly build rich, interactive applications.