In the previous chapters, we considered several Microsoft technologies that would be essential for our discussion of architectural patterns. We talked about .NET, SQL Server, SSIS, BizTalk, and SharePoint. However, there are many more applications and technologies within the Microsoft domain. In this chapter, we would like to provide a brief overview of some important ones.

In this chapter, we shall talk about technologies that require more configuration than development. We'll discuss the MS operating systems, enterprise packages such as MS Office and Exchange, and technologies that support their development; finally, we'll bring cloud computing into the picture.