Executive Editor's//Comment

asp.netPRO to Relaunch as DevConnections Magazine!

By Sheila Molnar

Last month I told you that "change is in the wind." This month, I'm delighted to announce that asp.netPRO is becoming DevConnections Magazine. The first issue of DevConnections Magazine will be published in November so if you're a subscriber, you'll get a November asp.netPRO plus a DevConnections Magazine!

I want to assure our loyal developer readership that we'll continue to provide you with great how-to articles on building enterprise ASP.NET web apps written by the experienced authors you respect. But in the new DevConnections Magazine we're officially announcing broader coverage of the .NET Framework, Visual Studio, and beyond.

So what's behind the change and what's in it for you? There are two key factors: alignment with the huge wave of Microsoft developer releases and the changes they will bring to web and application development and alignment with the successful DevConnections conferences that you're so familiar with. We're planning to build out the DevConnections developer community in print and online, giving you many content choices.

The Future of Development

All developers know that changes are coming with Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0. These Microsoft offerings, plus SharePoint 2010, Office 2010, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and SQL Server 2008 R2 constitute a sea change in development. We want to be ready to serve you with the best how-to information and the latest developer news.

In this new world where you can build web and desktop applications that share code, you need a magazine that still embraces ASP.NET but extends beyond it. Authors like Michele Bustamante have already begun to cover the .NET Framework in depth you'll be seeing more from Michele and others. Authors like Dino Esposito have already begun to cover Visual Studio; look for more articles on languages and Team System. You'll continue to see content on Silverlight, WCF, WPF, and WF; plus be on the lookout for more articles on the Entity Framework and development for Windows and mobile. We want to give you the inside scoop from Microsoft, and we want to explore how to take advantage of open source solutions. In other words, expect to find a variety of pathways into building enterprise applications and websites!

Aligning with the DevConnections Conferences

Most of you are familiar with the DevConnections conferences. What you may not know is that this magazine and the Connections conferences are both part of Penton Media. We want to ensure that you'll see the same high-quality content in your magazine that the conferences deliver. (Many of our authors also are DevConnections speakers expect that trend to continue!)

We're distributing this magazine at DevConnections and at the PDC because that's where the developers go! Developers from all over the world come to DevConnections for their great sessions ASP.NET Connections, Visual Studio & .NET Connections, Architect Connections, SQL Server Connections, and SharePoint Connections. You may be reading a copy of this magazine right now at the November 9 12 DevConnections at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. If you're at the PDC or DevConnections, look for the November issue of DevConnections Magazine in the bins or at our booth!

In addition to the DevConnections conferences and the new DevConnections Magazine, we're relaunching our content website as devproconnections.com. This will be your place for developer community. You'll find our developer eLearning offerings there as well as in our online store, LeftBrain.com. We'll continue to publish developer newsletters once a week, plus offer you podcasts and webcasts and DevConnectionsTV! In addition to the Connections conferences, we'll have virtual Connections events. Look for special developer events throughout the year. You can always go to devconnections.com for the latest conference news.

Here's to new beginnings!

Sheila Molnar, Executive Editor