Editor's Note: Silver and Gold

Lafe Low

TechNet magazine this month looks at developing line of business applications with Silverlight and best practices for managing virtual environments.

There are two significant technologies we’ll be covering in TechNet Magazine this month. The first is Silverlight, the Microsoft rich Internet application platform. While Silverlight may have been flying somewhat under the radar in the early days since its introduction several years ago, it’s maturing into a development platform worthy of supporting and running heavy-duty business applications. Probably the most significant change that put Silverlight in the spotlight was the change from JavaScript to .NET as a development model. Check out what Gill Cleeren and Kevin Dockx have to say in “Build Your Business Apps in Silverlight.”

The other is virtualization, which has been around long enough and has enough enterprise-grade adoption that companies have developed best practices and tricks and techniques for streamlining and optimizing their infrastructure. Look for other articles later this month on the latest best practices in virtualization. In the meantime, let us know how you’ve deployed virtualization. Are you using it just to consolidate servers? Expedite desktop deployment? Enhance security? What are your best practices for designing and deploying virtual servers and desktops? Tell us how you’re managing the art and science of virtualization.

Developing Drama

How are you developing your custom line-of-business applications? Are you using Silverlight? Something else? Customized off-the-shelf apps? Let us know how you’re running your business, how it’s working and any changes you’re contemplating.

Anytime you have comments about the content in TechNet Magazine, please send us your feedback. Sign up for our LinkedIn group, send us an e-mail at tnmag.microsoft.com or e-mail me directly. We want to hear from you, and hear about what you’re doing with your IT organization and how it’s working.

Lafe Low* is the editor in chief of* TechNet Magazine*. A veteran technology journalist, he’s also the former executive editor of 1105 Media’s* Redmond *magazine. Contact him at *llow@1105media.com.