According to the information provided on the official Microsoft Developer blogs, the end of .NET 6 support is scheduled for November 12, 2024. But does it mean that your apps written with this version of .NET will stop running that day? Or are there any other consequences? Read our articles to get a full understanding of the upcoming changes.
End of .NET 6 Support: Major Changes
Initially, .NET 6 was presented on November 8, 2021, as a Long Term Support (LTS) release. It was expected to be supported for three years. Now this term is coming to an end.
Image credit: Microsoft Dev Blogs
It means that after November 12, 2024, Microsoft will stop providing any updates for this version.
Here, it is vital to highlight that all apps relying on .NET 6 will stay operational. Yes, they will continue running. But does it mean that all businesses that use such software can just relax and fully ignore the changes? Probably, it’s not the best idea. And here is why.
- After November 12, 2024, no technical support will be available for .NET 6.
- No security fixes will be provided, which will make your software exposed to security vulnerabilities.
- You will start getting error messages and warnings while targeting .NET 6 from a later SDK.
Moreover, some changes for .NET 6 will come to Visual Studio as well. Starting with the servicing update for Visual Studio 2022 17.8, Visual Studio 2022 17.10, and Visual Studio 2022 17.12 scheduled for January 2025, this component will be marked as out of support.
Given all this, you may have very logical questions. “What should we do with our .NET 6 apps to stay supported? Should we replace them with new ones?”
The best option in this case, which is also recommended by the Microsoft community, is to update your applications to .NET 8 already today.
Migration to .NET 8 or a Later Version
The release of new .NET versions takes place every year. According to the official schedule, the latest official .NET version as of the time of writing this article is .NET 8. The next version .NET 9 is expected to be released on November 12, 2024.
Sometimes developers start preparing for the app migration process just after the release of a new version. In other cases, they may wait till the moment when the used version reaches the end of its support. Both approaches have their pros and cons and the right strategy should be chosen individually in each particular case.
Every software upgrade is a serious step that requires serious preparations from the side of your tech team. To make sure that everything will go seamlessly and without significant interruptions in your business processes, you should work with professional developers with relevant expertise. If you do not have such in-house specialists, at Softacom, we will be always ready to help you.
Reasons to Update Your .NET 6 Software
Still not sure whether you should migrate your .NET 6 applications to a newer version? Let us summarize the key points that illustrate the necessity of updating your software.
- Better performance: Newer versions of .NET bring optimizations that improve app performance. The latest versions provide native AOT compilation. It can reduce startup times and memory usage. This is highly beneficial for cloud-native applications and microservices.
- Security: With no security updates for .NET 6, your solutions are not properly protected against evolving threats. Moreover, starting from .NET 8, the technology offers enhanced cryptography features.
- Higher developer productivity: The latest versions of Visual Studio and other IDEs offer enhanced support for the latest .NET versions. This ensures faster builds, better code suggestions, and smarter refactoring tools.
- Access to updated resources: Newer versions always have richer community support, tutorials, and up-to-date documentation.
- Optimized support and maintenance costs: The longer you rely on legacy software, the more expensive and complicated its maintenance becomes.
- Enhanced cross-platform development: .NET 8 provides advanced tools for creating seamless experiences across devices for both desktop and mobile apps.
- AI integration: .NET 8 offers improved integration with machine learning and AI frameworks, including ONNX Runtime and ML.NET. Thanks to this, it will become easier to incorporate AI-driven features like predictive analytics or natural language processing into your applications.
Serge Pilko
Softacom Сo-Founder, Embarcadero MVPApart from all tech limitations you may face due to staying on legacy .NET versions, you shouldn’t forget about reputational threats. If your customers interact with your apps, it is natural that their impression is greatly influenced by the quality of your software.
Final Word
Migration to a newer .NET version is not a modern trend. It’s a must for businesses looking to stay competitive, maintain secure applications, and take advantage of the latest in .NET development.
If you want to learn more about the peculiarities of the software migration process and our approaches to it, you can always contact us and schedule a consultation with our experts.
For many years, we have been successfully working with businesses from different domains and today we know how to cope with projects of any complexity and type, including .NET migration.
Upgrading to a newer .NET version is a future-proof investment. At Softacom, we are always happy to support you in this journey. Contact us today for a free consultation.
