The .NET Framework is a component of the Windows operating system. For developers, the .NET Framework makes it easy to rapidly create powerful software that maximizes performance, scalability, opportunities for integration, reliability, security, & the end-user experience, while minimizing the costs of deployment & management.
Windows users need to install the .NET Framework to run applications developed using the .NET Framework. This release includes a number of enhancements over version 1.0 of the .NET Framework. Installing this release is a prerequisite for running applications developed using the .NET Framework 1.1.