S. Somasegar takes part in an AMA session on Reddit

Sep 17, 2012 07:54 GMT  ·  By

S. Somasegar, the corporate vice president of the Developer Division at Microsoft, participated in an AMA session on Reddit, revealing some very interesting bits about the upcoming Windows 8, but also talking about the core things that define the Redmond-based software giant.

Somasegar admitted that Microsoft continues to focus on .NET, but both C# and VB could be used to develop new applications for the desktop or Windows Store.

“Of course, we also strongly believe in giving developers the choice. For example, for the server and cloud I see .NET as the premier programming environment. At the same time, if you want to use Java or PHP or node.JS or Python, etc. we support that too,” he said.

When asked what the most important advice he can offer to a student trying to get an internship with Microsoft is, Somasegar explained that the passion for software is the most essential thing.

“That's the core that defines Microsoft,” he says. “Skills are definitely important. Equally, and if not more important, is curiosity, willingness and aptitude to learn. In the world of software development, this is critical as the technology world is changing at a rapid pace.”

Windows 8, the operating system that will go live next month on the 26th, was specifically designed to allow developers to choose their very own programming language, so a wide variety of technologies is supported. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the same thing in an interview with The Seattle Times a few days ago, emphasizing that Windows 8 was created to suit all needs.

“If you know HTML5/JavaScript - that is a great choice for you. JavaScript code can call into native C++ components. As the same time, if you are familiar with XAML and want to use that with C#, VB or C++ - you can use that for Windows 8 apps,” Somasegar concluded.

The whole AMA session can be read by following this link.