Download
this construction software article
|
 |
| |
 |
See why contractors use FOUNDATION as their construction accounting software!
(click here) |
|
 |
|
| |
 |
| |
|
Is .NET Workable?
Microsoft’s new .NET Technology is all
the buzz. But what does it all really
mean to the average Joe?
BY FRED ODE
Several years have passed
since Microsoft introduced its
.NET platform to the masses.
The initial release of the concept
burst onto the computer scene with
all the hype of a Superbowl extravaganza.
This platform would revolutionize
the way consumers across
the globe used software, it was said.
What is .NET?
Why the .NET mania? In simple terms,
.NET technology would allow software
(at least in the Windows PC space) to
morph into a subscription-based service
that housed data in a central location
and made its format compatible
across many types of software and
hardware platforms. Subscribers to the
service would store their data using a
Microsoft or Microsoft Certified Partner’s
server and, for a fee, be able to
access this data at any time using a
compatible device located anywhere.
Microsoft intended to recast its
entire product line and business direction.
All Microsoft business products
would become .NET-branded and -enabled. Its operating system would
become Windows.NET. Office productivity
applications would become Office.NET. Database server applications
like SQL would become SQL
Server.NET and so on. Using .NET
development tools, third-party software
developers would create .NET-enabled
software that integrated fully with other
.NET products. The promise of this
system was that data could be shared
across the Internet, allowing users with
different “smart” devices (cell phones,
PDAs, laptops), different operating
systems and different software to access
the same data seamlessly.
For example, if you were on a jobsite
in Alaska repairing a section of the
Alaskan pipeline and needed more
materials on site, you could pull out
your laptop or PDA from under several
layers of protective fleece clothing,
access your inventory and submit a
requisition form all before the keyboard
froze from the cold. With the data from
that requisition form in the .NET format,
your accounting, job costing, inventory
and project management systems
would be instantly updated. What’s
more, the vendor could access that
same data and it would be compliant
with his own accounting, inventory and
shipping systems, allowing instant use
of the information.
A change in .NET focus
Although techies across the globe salivated
with anticipation at the mere thought
of the possibilities available to them
through .NET, the actual outcome has
transformed from its original objective.
Why the change? First, in a day and
age of identity theft, consumers simply
didn’t trust the idea of handing their
important and personal data over to
someone else. Second, the realistic
contributions that .NET could make as
a new platform were embellished
through marketing spin and IT gossip.
Bill Gates, co-founder of the Microsoft
Corporation, originally said in June
2000 of .NET that “we are on the brink
of a new computing revolution.” However,
two years later, he admitted, “we
haven’t made as much progress as we
expected.” For .NET to work as originally
touted, the world’s hardware and
software would have had to be completely
redeveloped. Consumers and
the development marketplace just
weren’t eager or ready to make such
an abrupt switch. In fact, many
Microsoft critics dismissed the idea
from the beginning. John Dvorak, contributing
editor for PC Magazine and
radio talk show host, called the whole
.NET idea “ludicrous and creepy,” saying
that “Microsoft … has lost touch
with users.”
Microsoft has decided to scale
back the scope of .NET and focus
more on behind-the-scenes development
of .NET-compliant software.
While it is no longer tagging all of its
products with the .NET moniker, the
company is adding bits of .NET technology
to many of its core products,and it has released versions of its development tools
that facilitate creation of third-party .NET-enabled
products.
So what is .NET today, after the buildup, let down
and restructure? Probably where it was always meant
to be by the software engineers that created it—it’s a
new computer-programming platform for the software
development community, and it’s a really, really cool
one at that. The underlying technology offers a clean,
uniform environment that enables programmers to
more quickly write stable and secure programming
code.
What’s this mean for
the construction business?
The original vision of .NET, if made reality, would have
equaled productivity nirvana for most software users.
Microsoft still hopes to achieve the goal of complete
integration of data, but the push to accomplish this has
been slowed by reality. The latest versions of many Microsoft
products have (or will soon have) elements of the
.NET technology that allow you to create and store data
in the interchangeable format. A limited number of .NET-enabled
products are available on the marketplace. But
until the .NET battle is won, the results of these features
are not very apparent for the average user.
In fact, Microsoft’s Web site lists only one construction-related partner producing .NET-enabled software.
It focuses on sharing CAD data. As more are added,
the integration between products will grow. Imagine
the ability to automatically share details from CAD
drawings with an unrelated project management software.
The possibilities of data integration are limitless.
For a shop with all .NET-enabled software, every bit of
data, from the measurement of a widget to the profit
margin for that widget can be given a “tag” or name.
Each software can then recognize the data by name
and use it where appropriate.
Like the platforms before it, .NET will mature and its
time will come. Just like Windows replaced DOS, .NET
will someday replace traditional Windows applications.
However, in this author’s opinion, it is unlikely that the
transition will be completed anytime soon. So if you’re
interested in eventually hopping on the .NET bandwagon,
you should keep your eye on developers looking
at the .NET platform and stick with programs that
are scalable to .NET, such as Microsoft server and
database applications. By doing this, you can stay
aligned with advances in technology and, with any
luck, will minimize software upgrade costs should
.NET become the computing standard.
Fred Ode is the founder and chairman/CEO of Foundation
Software, Inc. Ode developed a construction-specific
accounting software, Foundation for Windows,
that suits a range of trades. For more information, visit
www.foundationsoft.com or call 800-246-0800.
|
