Major trends seen in .NET development

NEW YORK, USA: A big risk for businesses and software developers is backing and learning technologies that could quickly become obsolete.

There is no crystal ball predicting what the future in computer development holds. But looking at current employment trends among computer developers can help shed some light on which technologies remain viable and valuable during these economic times.

In Apress’s latest book "Introducing .NET 4.0: With Visual Studio 2010," author and Microsoft C# MVP Alex Mackey consults with Jonathan Keen, Head of Search Practice at Cognitive Group, a UK-based recruitment agency.

Together they offer their opinions on the major trends seen in .NET Development.

Mr. Keen provides these ten observations:

1.   “Generally, companies are cutting back on new projects, which have caused a drop in the number of development jobs available.”

2.   “There is more competition for jobs. This increased competition has placed more importance on developers’ need to distinguish themselves in forums such as conferences, user groups, and blogs.”

3.   “C#, ASP .NET, and SQL Server remain core skills companies seek.”

4.   “The most popular and highest paid skills include SharePoint, Dynamics AX, and Dynamics CRM.”

5.   “There are many roles focusing on integration with existing applications such as SharePoint and Dynamics suite.”

6.   “There is some interest in ‘Agile’ skills and SCRUM, but less in TDD.”

7.   “Increasingly, WCF and WPF skills are expected on a developer’s resume.”

8.   “Many public sector projects are still using .NET 1.1.”

9.   “There is an emphasis on web programming over desktop programming.”

10.   “Technologies such as BizTalk have drastically decreased in popularity.”