Microsoft has formed a "Developer and Platform Evangelism" division
in an effort to improve services for developers and users of its
.Net software platform.
The division, made up from parts of several other divisions, will
be responsible for promoting developer tools for Microsoft's .Net
software platform with books, online learning, courseware and
exams. The division will also run Microsoft's corporate Web site.
Developer and Platform Evangelism will push Microsoft's XML Web
services as part of Microsoft's Platforms Group, which also
includes Windows and Microsoft's .Net Enterprise Services
platforms. The company faces competition from rivals such as IBM
and Sun Microsystems in the Web services market.
Winning over developers to support the .Net framework is one of the
major tasks for the new division, headed by senior vice president
Eric Rudder, former general manager for the Visual Studio
development system. Rudder's primary responsibility will be the
promotion of the Visual Studio.Net developer package.