Visual Studio 2010, the successor of Visual Studio 2008, will be tailored to Windows 7, the next iteration of the Windows client. Jason Zander, general manager of the Developer Division at Microsoft, present at the Microsoft TechEd EMEA 2008 Developers, referenced the next version of Visual Studio as “riding the next-generation platform wave”. Microsoft indicated that it is pouring a consistent amount of effort into adapting VS 2010 to Windows 7. In this regard, the Redmond company revealed that it would simplify the building process associated with Windows 7-native applications via C++ while offering support for the innovations that the client is slated to bring including multitouch interaction.

“Developers are under increasing pressure to deliver more complex applications that work across a variety of devices, but with fewer resources and less time,” Zander explained. “We continue to refine Visual Studio and the .NET Framework to help simplify the application development process and ultimately improve the day-to-day experience for anyone building, managing, deploying or using applications and services.”

Microsoft has already made available for download Community Technology Previews of Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0. The software giant informed that the next version of its suite of development tools and runtime environment would also support Office Business Applications, and that they would deliver a Windows Presentation Foundation-based editor, along with additional C++ enhancements.

Microsoft also announced a range of special offers and price discounts for Visual Studio. According to the Redmond giant, purchasing Visual Studio Team System 2008 Development Edition with an MSDN Premium subscription will deliver access to a free copy of Database Edition, or vice-versa. The company touted special upgrade offerings which permit buyers to save up to $250. At the same time, moving to Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Suite from any Visual Studio Team System SKU is now 30% cheaper.

“Microsoft’s goal is to enable our customers to use the latest and greatest development tools, and we don’t want cost to be a barrier to their success, particularly in these challenging economic times,” stated Dave Mendlen, director of Developer Marketing at Microsoft.

Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0 Community Technology Preview (CTP) are available for download here.