Longhorn cuts delay Microsoft Business Framework

[mazzy]

By cutting WinFS from Longhorn and indefinitely delaying the storage system, Microsoft Corp. has also again delayed the Microsoft Business Framework (MBF), a new Windows programming layer that is closely tied to WinFS.

Developers will now have to wait longer for MBF, which promises to make it easier to write business applications for the Windows platform by moving some of the base-level code out of the applications and into the operating system. MBF sits on top of the .Net framework and provides basic functions such as order entry and general ledger for application developers to build on.

This is the second delay for MBF this year. Microsoft had planned to ship the framework next year, together with Visual Studio 2005. Those plans were changed and in May Microsoft said MBF would be aligned with Longhorn and WinFS in particular.

"The current plan remains to ship MBF in the WinFS time frame. The MBF team, as a result of the decision to remove the link between WinFS and Longhorn, is investigating if it is possible to release earlier, but no commitments can be made at this time," a Microsoft spokesman said.

The delay and Microsoft's inability to give a new release target is bad news for developers who are waiting for MBF. Furthermore, it gives the rival Java platform a competitive edge because technology similar to MBF is already available to Java developers, some industry experts said.

"This technology is readily available for Java and has been for years, in different flavors even," said Frans Bouma, a senior software engineer at Solutions Design in The Hague, Netherlands. "That makes .Net developers jealous," said Bouma, who is a .Net developer and has been awarded Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status.

Подробнее...
http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/09/01/...ghornmbf_1.html

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