Microsoft releases .NET toolkit under security shadow

Microsoft's low-key launch of its developer platform for .NET today was over shadowed when its IT security policies again hit the headlines.

A leaked email from Bill Gates to Microsoft employees said security was now the top priority for the firm, in recognition of its tarnished reputation for security.

The news follows a number of high-profile security failures from the software giant, which some analysts are now saying is starting to threaten the successful rollout of its grand .NET vision.

Microsoft this week made the completed .NET framework (the development platform for web services) and Visual Studio .NET (the development tools) available to coders for the first time.

The official launch of the products will happen in mid-February, but yesterday allowed developers to get their hands on the products for the first time.

Gavin King, developer tools manager for Microsoft UK, said: "This is a real milestone for .NET and for Microsoft. These are the first foundation stones of the .NET vision to be made a reality."

However the launch comes against the background of ever-increasing concerns over security, which are much more important in the field of web services than in the company's traditional desktop hunting ground.

Jay Hunter, senior technology risk manager for Andersen, said: "It is only reasonably recently that Microsoft stopped thinking in terms of the stand-alone and unconnected PC world, where functionality was much more important than security.

"They now have a reputation for poor security and they need to strongly allay some of those fears, and this is likely to delay the uptake of .NET"

Other analysts went further. Tony Lock, senior analyst at Bloor Research, said: "Companies won't work with software that is, or more importantly is seen to be, insecure.

"For any other smaller company this kind of reputation could be terminal. Even with Microsoft's marketing muscle, this is going to be an uphill struggle to shake this off."

Microsoft's King said: "Security is Microsoft's number one priority, and it was when we were building Visual Studio and the .NET Framework."