Microsoft executives unveiled plans Thursday for upcoming versions of the company's software development tools. Microsoft plans to deliver this fall a minor update to its Visual Studio.Net suite of development tools, said Eric Rudder, senior vice president of Microsoft's developer and platform evangelism. New features include better security and performance and tight integration with the forthcoming Windows .Net Server operating system for businesses. The update, code-named "Everett," will also provide support for writing software for mobile devices, such as cell phones.

Visual Studio.Net, originally released in February, is a revamped package of tools that includes Visual Studio, C++, C# and other tools for writing software. It serves as Microsoft's chief weapon in the battle for software developers, who have a choice between Microsoft's .Net Web services plan and rival software sold by Sun Microsystems, BEA Systems, Oracle, IBM and other Java backers. Web services is an emerging method of writing software that allows businesses to interact via the Internet. Microsoft detailed its Visual Studio.Net plans at its yearly financial analyst meeting here at its company headquarters Thursday.