>Actually it is not a hypothesis.
>
>I have been at a number of events where microsoft actively courts 3rd party vendors. They need this market as much as the vendors do.

Right. Right now. Let's see what the landscape is like in 3-5 years.
I already gave my theory as to why they 'need' them now - to get as much early .NET development going as possible. They actively court large shops too, as witness by a few "Case studies" mentioning direct support contacts/assistance for certain projects. Neither of these actions prove anything other than the immediate. Don't be forgetting... business has no conscience.

cheers

>
>Rodman