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Significantly, .Net skills are appearing on the must-have list alongside Java and XML

I don't see it. I took some time out about a year ago to get up to speed on .Net, and since then have become very skilled with C#, J#, and VB.Net in a variety of programming scenarios. As an experienced programmer predating the boom days, my resume still brings in a lot of calls from headhunters trying to place me in new jobs. Do you know how many proposals I've had for jobs requiring .Net skills? Zero. While some employers would "like you to know it", the in-demand skills are still C++, Java, XML, and VB6. I have seen suprisingly little interest in the .Net platform at an enterprise level. It's really a shame too, because I actually enjoy programming C# (C# programming is VS.NET is nearly painless).

I dunno. This study was largely derived from surveys with businesses. Needs change over time, and it's certainly possible that the differences in technology deployment could be regional.