Top .NET Developers & Development Companies: United States (US)

.NET Development in the United States

Microsoft's .NET framework is one of the leading business application development frameworks available today, and it is one of the most widespread technologies in the United States and other regions around the globe. This is due, at least in part, on the heavy proliferation of Microsoft's Windows computer operating system in both homes and businesses. The .NET Framework supports several programming languages which compile and run on Windows, and are intended to do so consistently. This native support has allowed many software engineers to focus on writing solid software and worry less about deploying that software.

.NET developers may write in several languages or be focused in a single language, such as Visual Basic .NET, C#, F# or C++. For most business applications written in a .NET language, the most common would be C# or VB.NET. While many developers write in multiple languages, it is an important distinction. Hiring programmers who can work fluently in both VB.NET and C# is the most viable option, unless your business applications already are all written in one language.

In the United States, .NET development has a healthy following in the programming community, with user groups who meet regionally, national trade shows and Microsoft's continued strong support to developers. The experience level in the U.S. is mature, with skill levels ranging from intern programmers all the way up to developers with twenty years or more of enterprise level programming experience. This also means that a business must understand the type of development they are undertaking; many small start up companies can use a handful of programmers with 2-4 years of experience, while large enterprises may have hundreds of developers in all skill levels. Software development in the United States also tends to attract creative minded people who work best in flexible environments.

.NET Developers and Development Companies in the United States (US)

Hiring a programmer is not a simple task. For starters, once you've identified a pool of potential candidates, you should perform some type of screening to determine how qualified they are to do the job you need. But, unfortunately, that's not very straightforward and entire books have been written, literally, on how this process should be executed.

This hiring process is where a lot of companies make their biggest mistakes, and it's one of the primary reasons to consider using an outside firm that has engineers already on staff. Many businesses in the United States focus the entire interview process on asking candidates a series of obscure technical questions, which does little to find the programmer with the right demeanor for the job.

While the stereotype of software engineers is that of shy, withdrawn, anti-social people, that's often inaccurate. Programmers can be outgoing, engaging and involved in the business. Some programmers can be territorial while others are strong team players. Just as with any group of employees, the makeup of the existing team is just as important as the qualifications of the people on the team.

This is why so many companies turn to outside firms, but that, too, can be problematic. Business executives often make the mistake of thinking they can simply write a check, and, like magic, the work will get done. But, the relationship with an outside development firm is an ongoing one, in which the business should work to provide solid, thorough requirements and constant feedback.