| By Patrick Hynds |
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| July 24, 2007 05:00 PM EDT |
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11,688 |
I feel as if there is a calm on the .NET waters at the
moment and it’s a rare and somewhat uneasy sensation. Most of the developers I
know are playing with Blend and Silverlight and all the cool WPF stuff, even if
their specialty is back-end database work. We all know there is another wave
coming and it will probably be a big one, so you better get the exploring out
of your system now while you can. The summer is also a time when most
businesses and development shops rest and recoup, though our network and storage
admin friends use this time to do major projects that are unthinkable near year
end.
The next wave will be a big one. It will have Orcas, now
officially Visual Studio 2008, as well as Windows 2008 Server. It will bring
lots of surprises I am sure, but it will not change the cycle we early adopters
must brace for. We have to grok the technology changes of the last phase or
risk falling behind when this next wave comes crashing.
It’s a blessing because our industry never gets boring. It’s
a curse because our industry never stops moving. If you want to be at the top
of the game, pick a spot, dig in deep, and make sure you pick your battles
well. Enjoy our article on LINQ (part 1) and understand what it means to you. This
will let you know where to look in the ever-increasing giant piece of software
that is Visual Studio.
I am looking forward to the next wave, but nevertheless I am
swimming as fast as I can between now and when it hits.
Patrick Hynds, MCSD, MCSE+I, MCDBA, MCSA, MCP+Site Builder, MCT, is the Microsoft Regional Director for Boston, the CTO of CriticalSites, and has been recognized as a leader in the technology field. An expert on Microsoft technology (with, at last count, 55 Microsoft certifications) and experienced with other technologies as well (WebSphere, Sybase, Perl, Java, Unix, Netware, C++, etc.), Patrick previously taught freelance software development and network architecture. Prior to joining CriticalSites, he was a successful contractor who enjoyed mastering difficult troubleshooting assignments. A graduate of West Point and a Gulf War veteran, Patrick brings an uncommon level of dedication to his leadership role at CriticalSites. He has experience in addressing business challenges with blended IT solutions involving leading-edge database, Web, and hardware systems. In spite of the demands of his management role at CriticalSites, Patrick stays technical and in the trenches, acting as project manager and/or developer/engineer on selected projects throughout the year.
