Microsoft lures for fresh web developers

"WebMatrix" will make it simple to get started with your site.

Microsoft came in yesterday with a beta version of a new tool for Web developers are relatively fresh. The package is called WebMatrix and includes everything needed to create relatively simple, dynamic Web pages.

Microsoft writes in an introduction to the upcoming product, which is now available in a beta version, will complement the company's product portfolio for web developers and better serve small development groups in small and medium-sized businesses, hobby developers and students.

The entire solution is free, unless you have a Windows-based machine to run it on.

WebMatrix consists of, among other things, the Web server IIS Developer Express, webrammeverket ASP.NET and the integrated database solution SQL Server Compact. Both web server and database solution is new product from Microsoft.

In addition to being easy to install and get started, shall WebMatrix  be based on complete, open source based web applications that are offered through Microsoft Web App Gallery. These include WordPress, Drupal and Joomla.

WebMatrix will also include tools for search engine optimization and support for a new syntax that Microsoft calls Razor.

The goal of Microsoft is of course to make the company more attractive web solutions for small sites, with the goal that the sites eventually adopt more older versions of Visual Studio and SQL Server when it is needed for this. Therefore, it is very easy to move WebMatrix-based sites into the more advanced solutions.

The first beta version of WebMatrix is available for download from this page.

According to ZDNet.com, the plan is to launch WebMatrix by the end of the year, if the user feedback is positive.