Microsoft continues to unify .Net software development across Windows 10 platforms even as it gives up on smartphones and tablets Credit: Thinkstock Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform (UWP), an attempt to foster development of apps across multiple devices all running Windows 10, now supports the .Net Standard 2.0 specification for .Net unification. But this move comes right after Microsoft revealed it was effectively pulling the plug on its Windows Mobile platform for smartphones, making Universal Windows apps less universal. In fact, Microsoft has been expanding support for Android and iOS in its various development tools as it effectively cedes the mobile market to Google and Apple. UWP is still promised to support Windows 10 app development for PCs, the Xbox game console, and the HoloLens augmented-reality display. The new UWP support for .Net Standard 2.0 comes through a set of APIs for all .Net platforms, which include .Net Framework 4.6.1, Mono 5.4, and Xamarin. UWP support for .Net Standard 2.0 brings it to parity with other .Net implementations. You can get the .Net Standard 2.0 updates through the Visual Studio 2017 15.4 IDE. Developers need to target the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. UWP has been criticized for being a “closed platform” with questionable backward compatibility. But Microsoft has continued to back the concept, with a spring 2017 UWP update and this week’s .Net Standard 2.0 support. Software DevelopmentTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business