How Is .NET Great, and Why Should You Outsource .NET Development?

What Is .NET? Let Us Take Care of the Confusion

.NET isn't the type of guy who travels the world of software development alone: wherever .NET goes, confusion follows. Why? Due to an extensive number of features and benefits that it offers, it might be difficult to determine what exactly .NET is. Some people think it's a mini-operating system, others consider it a programming language. However, it's neither of them. To crack the mystery of its nature, we invite you to take a closer look at the listing below:

• .NET is a brainchild of Microsoft.
• It originated in 2002 as .NET Framework, which is one of the oldest software development platforms for building and running applications exclusively on Windows.
• In 2016, Microsoft launched .NET Core, an open-source cross-platform framework.
• In 2019, the same company announced that “the next release after .NET Core 3.0 will be .NET 5. There will be just one .NET going forward, and you will be able to use it to target Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, tvOS, watchOS and WebAssembly and more.” The “Core” in the name was since then omitted, which symbolizes the unity of .NET Core and .NET Framework.
• Consequently, since 2019, the platform has been known as simply .NET. It is modular, i.e., its components are independent and get updated through the NuGet package manager. Therefore, you can install separate parts of the framework instead of the whole thing, depending on the application you want to develop. Thus, .NET represents a single ecosystem of .NET products.
• As a result, Microsoft defines .NET as “a free, cross-platform, open-source developer platform for building many different types of applications. With .NET, you can use multiple languages, editors, and libraries to build for web, mobile, desktop, games, IoT, and more.”
• The latest version of .NET — .NET 7.0.1 — was released in December 2022.

Today .NET is one of the most used frameworks globally. According to Statista, it's a software development platform of choice for 34.55% of respondents.

Apart from building its own fandom, .NET also boosts the popularity of C#: this programming language is a standard option for .NET development, thus more and more developers who opt for .NET as a career learn it. As a result, C# ranks 8th in the list of the most commonly used languages and 3rd among the most loved technologies in the world, as the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2022 shows.

But what is so special about .NET that makes developers pursue such a career? Let's take a look at .NET in detail to find out.

Why Is .NET Great? The Tech Side Overview

.NET is a very versatile platform. It is used by many giants, such as Samsung, Intel, GoDaddy, Cisco, Dell, and, of course, Microsoft. According to the latter, you can implement .NET development projects in the following areas:

• Web application development;
• Mobile application development;
• Cloud services;
• Microservices;
• Desktop applications;
• Machine learning;
• Game development services;
• Internet of Things.

But how is it possible for one framework to serve so many contrasting fields? The key to this mystery lies in the .NET technical advantages. That is why, let’s take a closer look at the technical benefits that make .NET a great fit for a project of pretty much any kind.

1. .NET’s modular architecture consists of three main components: .NET languages, application model frameworks, and .NET runtime. 
2. The latter is also called the Common Language Runtime (CLR). It helps implement just-in-time compilation. Simply put, .NET can convert any programming language to an intermediate language (IL); then, just in time, it compiles the IL to machine code. That’s why you can have a C# app calling an F# library, and it will work just fine.
3. Consequently, .NET offers language-agnostic programming. You can use any supported programming language (C#, F#, or Visual Basic .NET.) because in the end, all of them will operate the same.
4. Another thing that .NET brings to the table is code reusability, i.e., .NET specialists can use the same component to build different modules.
5. It offers rapid development of web applications and services. One of the frameworks that extends the .NET platform is ASP.NET. It enables programmers to build scalable cloud-based online applications with interactive UI (with Blazor, an ASP.NET feature, you can write in C# instead of JavaScript) that can run natively on any operating system. ASP.NET is fast, reliable, simple to use, and has a built-in security mechanism to protect your app from cyberattacks.
6. You can also create powerful mobile applications with the help of Xamarin, yet another framework under the .NET umbrella. iOS, Android, tvOS, macOS, watchOS, and Windows — you name it. As Microsoft explains, if your goal is to “write all the business logic in a single language (or reuse existing application code) but achieve native performance, look, and feel on each platform”, then this framework (which is free even for commercial use) is for you.
7. Additionally, .NET can put you in a winning position due to its support of cloud services. Your app can easily integrate more than a hundred Azure services using Azure SDK. This means that MS Azure offers many options to deploy and run scalable cloud .NET applications.
8. Another benefit is simple deployment. .NET provides a number of features (such as no-impact applications to isolate an app and eliminate DLL conflicts, controlled code sharing, side-by-side versioning, downloading and caching, and others) for a smooth deployment process.
9. On top of that, .NET is open-source: anyone can download and contribute to the source code of .NET. As a result, its dedicated community constantly improves it.
10. Finally, to make .NET development easier, Microsoft offers Visual Studio. That is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), i.e., software where you can write, compile, run, and debug codes. It provides a great Graphical User Interface (GUI) to create .NET applications.

If we sum up the technical benefits, we will see that .NET is a powerful cross-platform ecosystem that offers high scalability, efficient deployment, security, stability, and simplicity in building and maintaining applications.

With such an impressive benefit kit, it's no wonder .NET is that popular: it has been making coding easy and risk-free for 20 years.

* If you would like to explore different cloud services and learn more about Azure in particular, feel free to visit our blog.

Why Is It Best to Go for .NET Development Outsourcing?

As you already know, .NET offers many possibilities to developers and, consequently, business owners because it provides the tools to build any application that would work like a charm. However, keeping up with the latest trends of such an extensive platform might be difficult for an in-house team, especially if your goal is not only to explore but also to conquer different domains. Thus, your developers might lack the skills and the knowledge that would allow making the most of .NET and building a top-notch application. So, what can you do to ensure that your .NET projects will grow and prosper at all times?

Our answer is to go for .NET software development outsourcing. We invite you to get acquainted with the advantages that a collaboration with outsourced .NET developers can give you.

If you have decided that these benefits are something you want to get a taste of, let's move on to two big questions: how to choose a team to provide you with .NET development outsourcing services, and what you can do to make your partnership a success.

How to Choose an Outsourcing .NET Development Team and Organize the Collaboration?

If you are going to give .NET development outsourcing a try, here are a few tips. They especially come in handy when you are preparing for a collaboration or are already in the process:

• You must partner up with a reliable, trustworthy company. Make sure their reputation is spotless, both as a business and as an employer. See if there are reviews from the companies that worked with them in the past, as well as feedback from their employees.
• Prepare a list of your ideas and requirements to get a clear vision of the goal you want to achieve with outsourcing .NET software development.
• Check that the soft skills of both the company's management and .NET developers are good enough. It's crucial to have mutual understanding and treat each other with honesty and respect. Your communication has to aim at problem-solving, and debates must never get personal. It's also a good idea to consider whether cultural differences might be an issue.
• As to the communication during .NET development outsourcing, let your team know how they can get in touch with each other (e.g., via Slack or another messenger). Also, prepare to keep track of the team's progress with the help of regular meetings and a tool such as Jira. This will allow you to keep things transparent and stay in control.
• Make sure both an in-house team and outsourced .NET software developers know how the outsourcing is going to unfold: the roles and responsibilities of people on the project as well as the chain of command should be clear.
• And, of course, it's vital to see if the potential .NET software development team has the experience with projects similar to yours and the right skill set for the job. To check the former, study their portfolio. To check the latter, conduct a series of interviews with developers. Research by Stackify suggests to pay attention to the following skills:

Outsource Dot NET Development. Period!

Whatever technology you're working with, it's crucial to know precisely how to make the most of it. With a tool such as .NET, it is especially true: you don't want the lack of skill or expertise to spoil things. Thus, if you need to build a powerful web application, it is best to outsource .NET MVC development; if you need specialists who can create APIs, cloud services, or complex desktop apps, research the companies that work with .NET solutions.

To put it simply, if you're out in the city and want to get from A to B fast and with comfort, what you need is not a pair of good sports shoes. It's a nice car with a professional driver and a drink. .NET developer outsourcing means to get in that car and travel with class.

Now you know what that car looks like and where to find it. So, will you get in?

If you're curious about .NET development services, please feel free to contact us. We'll be glad to consult you and collaborate!