The Microsoft .NET Framework is a software framework that can be installed on computers running Microsoft Windows operating systems. It includes a large library of coded solutions to common programming problems and a virtual machine that manages the execution of programs written specifically for the framework. The .NET Framework is a Microsoft offering and is intended to be used by most new applications created for the Windows platform.

Technologies in the .NET Framework include;  Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF),  Windows Forms, Base Class Libraries (BCL), .NET Services, ASP.NET, ADO.NET, Language Runtime (CLR), Windows CardSpace, .NET Compact Framework and .NET Micro Framework.