The current trend is components/application integration, all the way to ASP,
through the likes of BEA's Weblogic and IBM's WebSphere (and others...).
The problem Microsoft faces is that the core of these technologies is JAVA
J2EE. COM/DCOM components are almost considered as 'legacy' services. Microsoft
is loosing this battle.
So what does MS do? Not humbly ackowledge and then start working with the
rest of us to truely integrate all this mess. No sir, they are creating again
a huge diversion, which will make people hesitate and hesitate, and in the
mean time continue to live in closed bubbles! Yes sir, this is evolution,
this is progress. We all needed a new language! With this new venture,
Microsoft ackowledges its failure. Did you read MS's white paper on the
current WEB technologies, INCLUDING its own, and justifying .NET! If 4 years
ago, Microsoft had truely accepted JAVA instead of counteracting with VB
and the rest, probably the whole WEB development would not be in the 'sad'
state Microsoft depicts.

What is this all about:
- Money
- Court ruling
- Fighting desperately for dominancy in the Server market (ASP, ASP, ASP...)

Regards,
Andre