In the hopes of luring developers to use its .Net Web services platform, Microsoft Wednesday announced the free availability of the Visual Studio .Net integration software development kit (SDK) and an online help center for developers building .Net architectures.

Microsoft enterprise customers holding a select licensing or enterprise licensing agreement can now get the integration SDK for free through Summit Software. Previously, only members of the Visual Studio .Net Integration Program had access to the kit.

Microsoft launched Visual Studio five months ago, in its push to capture the attention of developers to its evolving Web services offerings.

The integration SDK gives developers the ability to customize Visual Studio .Net for company-specific projects, allowing for the integration of tools, documentation and online communities within the Visual Studio .Net integrated development environment.

Through the Visual Studio .Net SDK, Microsoft said enterprises could streamline the development life cycle, through a unified environment that eases collaboration and within development teams.

In addition to the SDK, Microsoft announced the availability of the .Net Architecture Center, designed as a one-stop location for developers looking for information and advice about Microsoft architecture problems. The site provides best-practices models, reusable software assets, and advice on building using .Net software.

The .Net Architecture Center is available for free at the Microsoft Developer Network Web site.