What is serialization in .NET? What are the ways to control serialization?

Serialization is a process of taking an object and converting into a form so that it can be transported across the network.
The serialized data can also be stored at a location using de-serialization.
The data contains the state of the object by which it can be reconstructed.

Binary Serialization is a light and compact format.
SOAP Serialization is used in web Services.
XML Serialization provides custom serialization.