Today Microsoft announced the release of Beta 3 of the ADO.NET Entity Framework, and a preview of ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions. Designed to make it even easier for developers to build data-centric applications and services regardless of the underlying data source, the ADO.NET Entity Framework is already gaining significant support from multiple database vendors and third-party providers, including Core Lab, Data Direct Technologies, Firebird, IBM, MySQL AB, Npgsql, OpenLink Software, Phoenix Software, Sybase and VistaDB.  For more information about the ADO.NET Entity Framework Beta 3, take a look at Guggs’ Crossbar.

Microsoft also announced today an upcoming preview of ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions, which leverages the Entity Framework to make it easier for developers to build rich, interactive data-centric applications on the Web. The ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview includes:

• ADO.NET Entity Framework
• ASP.NET MVC
• ADO.NET Data Services
• ASP.NET Dynamic
• New additions to ASP.NET AJAX
• Silverlight controls for ASP.NET