The .NET framework is a technology from Microsoft that other Microsoft technologies will depend on in the future. It provides a common language runtime, class libraries, and compiler support for multiple programming languages. The common language runtime manages memory, threads, and provides a language-independent environment. The framework class library includes a large collection of reusable classes and interfaces organized in a hierarchical structure. The .NET framework simplifies development, provides consistent programming models across languages, direct support for security, and easy application deployment and maintenance.