.NET by any other name
.NET by any other name
Microsoft will begin dropping the .NET term from products, opting for a more "consistent" branding strategy.
The first product to lose the .NET moniker is its long-awaited server operating system, which has been tagged with yet another name: Windows Server 2003. The product has gone through four names and several delivery delays, starting out with the beta name Whistler, then Windows 2002 Server, then Windows .NET Server, Windows .NET Server 2003, and finally Windows Server 2003.
In a statement, Microsoft said the change in Windows Server 2003 is in name only, and that the functions of the server and its integration with .NET are unchanged.
Microsoft said the change is part of a "consistent naming and branding strategy" as support for Web services is integrated into its product line.
Microsoft will move to rename other .NET products, instead identifying products and services that support Web services interoperability with a ".NET Connected" logo, the company said in a memo to its partners.