Parallel Computing Features Added to .NET Framework 4.0, Visual Studio 2010

The increase in speed at computers has shifted from ever increasing clock speed to the addition of multiple processing cores. The manycore shift presents an unprecedented business opportunity for developers to take software experiences to the next level. But to access the power of multiple cores can be complex, difficult, and labor-intensive.

Microsoft's Parallel Computing Initiative seeks to make it simpler for both native and managed code developers.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4.0 will include programming models for concisely expressing concurrency, including new .NET Framework libraries such as the Task Parallel Library and Parallel LINQ, as well as the Parallel Pattern Library and Concurrency Runtime for developing native applications with C++ that execute efficiently on parallel hardware and parallel profiling and debugging experiences. This is all a part of the Emerging Trends pillar of Visual Studio 2010.

S. Somasegar, Senior Vice President of Developer Division, explained the new features in a blog posting, Announcements from PDC 2008.

You can get started with the the new features in .NET 4.0 by downloading Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0 CTP today.