🔥 Modernizing ASP.NET Framework to Core in 2026
Inside Microsoft’s AI‑Driven App Modernization Work
📅 Wednesday, 11 March 2026
🕠 5:30pm – 7:00pm NZDT
📍 Microsoft Auckland (Hybrid)
🎤 Presenter: Taylor Southwick
🌏 Why this session is special
This is a rare opportunity for the Auckland / New Zealand .NET community.
Taylor Southwick is based in Redmond, working directly inside Microsoft engineering on application modernization tooling and strategy. He’s only in Auckland for a short visit — and this session gives local developers a chance to hear first‑hand how Microsoft is approaching AI‑assisted App Modernization for large, real‑world .NET applications.
This isn’t a conference replay or a polished marketing talk — it’s direct insight from the team building the tools.
🧠 Session overview
Modernising large, long‑lived ASP.NET Framework applications is no longer a “someday” problem — it’s a right‑now reality for many teams across NZ and beyond.
In this session, Taylor Southwick will share how Microsoft is thinking about modernising ASP.NET Framework applications to ASP.NET Core in 2026, drawing directly from real customer and ISV engagements involving very large, very real codebases.
Rather than a theoretical migration guide, this talk focuses on:
✅ What actually works in practice
✅ What breaks (and why)
✅ How teams are using AI‑assisted and incremental approaches to modernisation
✅ Where the latest App Modernization (AppMod) tooling is heading
Much of this thinking is shaped by recent work with enterprise customers — including Vista‑backed organisations — navigating complex, multi‑year modernisation programs under real business constraints.
🧩 What Taylor will cover
Taylor will start with ~30 minutes of prepared content, followed by an open, interactive discussion.
Topics include:
- The current state of ASP.NET Framework → Core migrations in 2026
- How Microsoft and customers are breaking down large monoliths without “stopping the world”
- Common anti‑patterns and traps teams fall into during modernisation
- Where incremental modernisation makes sense — and where it doesn’t
- How AI‑driven tooling is starting to influence AppMod decisions
- How teams are thinking about risk, ROI, and sequencing for long‑running migrations
- This content comes straight from frontline engineering and customer work, not greenfield demos.
🧪 Format
✅ ~30 minutes of prepared walkthrough and insights
✅ Followed by open Q&A and discussion
✅ No heavy slide deck — this is about shared learning and lived experience
Whether you’re:
- Sitting on a 10+ year old ASP.NET Framework app
- Mid‑migration and feeling the pain
- Or trying to work out how to even start
…this session should give you practical clarity and confidence — straight from the source.
🍕 Logistics
- Food & drinks provided (thanks Arinco!)
- In‑person and remote attendees welcome
- Please RSVP so we can plan catering
