ASP.NET Supports Mobile Browsers

Although smart devices remain Microsoft’s preferred platform for mobile application development, many ISVs and IT planners must produce applications that can be accessed from simpler devices, such as cell phones that rely on the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP). ASP.NET Mobile Controls and the upcoming release of Visual Studio .NET (VS.NET) 2003 further simplify the development of these applications by hiding some idiosyncrasies of the plethora of cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) in use. Standardizing on a single device and developing applications specifically for that device, however, will probably be a better alternative for corporate developers.

ASP.NET Mobile Controls were originally known as the Microsoft Mobile Internet Toolkit (MMIT) and were available as a download from MSDN. With VS.NET 2003, Microsoft has integrated MMIT with VS.NET, thereby making it available to a larger number of developers and simplifying the installation process.