The contemporary software engineering landscape is characterized by a profound convergence of backend framework evolution, architectural paradigms, and cross-platform development methodologies. This article presents an extensive and theoretically grounded investigation into the evolution of Microsoft’s ASP.NET ecosystem toward ASP.NET Core, situating this transformation within broader shifts toward modularity, platform neutrality, event-driven architectures, and scalable cloud-native systems. Drawing strictly and exclusively on the provided body of scholarly and industry literature, the study examines how backend frameworks have responded to escalating demands for performance efficiency, interoperability, real-time responsiveness, and long-term maintainability. Particular emphasis is placed on the evolutionary trajectory articulated in recent analyses of ASP.NET Core tooling, strategies, and implementation approaches, which underscore a decisive movement away from monolithic, platform-bound architectures toward lightweight, open, and extensible runtime environments (Valiveti, 2025).

Through an expansive discussion of scholarly debates, counter-arguments, and historical context, the article argues that the evolution of ASP.NET Core cannot be understood in isolation. Instead, it represents a systemic response to the maturation of cloud computing, the proliferation of mobile and cross-platform applications, and the increasing centrality of integration and interoperability in enterprise systems. The findings contribute to theoretical understanding by articulating a unifying perspective that links backend framework evolution with architectural and methodological transformations across the software stack. The article concludes by identifying enduring challenges, including complexity management, skills transition, and architectural governance, while outlining future research directions that emerge from the ongoing convergence of backend, frontend, and integration technologies.

ASP.NET Core, backend framework evolution, event-driven architecture, distributed systems

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