Microsoft Web Platform components released

Microsoft has announced the launch of a number of new components of its new Web Platform.

The platform consists of an integrated set of tools, servers and frameworks that are capable of working with each other as well as with popular open source products and applications.

These include the Web Platform Installer 2.0 Beta, which makes it easier to install components such as PHP and the final release of ASP.NET MVC 1.0.

Microsoft has also launched Microsoft Commerce Server 2009, which lets businesses using e-commerce web hosting quickly build a new transactional site and comes with a production-ready, out-of-the-box website that is also colour-neutral.

The Microsoft Web Platform release additionally includes the Windows Web Application Gallery, which enables developers to access tools and applications to build their own web offerings and includes links to services such as WordPress.

Microsoft announced these new products at the MIX09 event for web designers and developers in Las Vegas this week, at which it is also unveiling the latest version of its Internet Explorer web browser.

Written by Tim Dunton