This week at MIX07, Web designers, Web developers, industry decision-makers and marketing professionals gathered as Microsoft Corp.’s Ray Ozzie, chief software architect, and Scott Guthrie, general manager of the Developer Division, presented the full breadth of Microsoft’s vision and road map for Microsoft Silverlight and how it fits into the company’s broader Microsoft .NET platform and tools effort.

A core component of Microsoft’s overall strategy for the Web, Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET-based media experiences and rich interactive applications. In addition to making the beta of Silverlight available for download, Microsoft announced unprecedented support for dynamic languages including Python and Ruby, powerful services integration and new tooling in the Expression Studio and the next edition of Visual Studio, code-named “Orcas,” for building Silverlight applications.

“Silverlight is an important aspect of our software-plus-services strategy focused on delivering great user experiences that span the Web, the PC and mobile devices,” said Ozzie. “It does so, in part, by bridging technical barriers that previously made it difficult for Web developers and designers to collaborate. As a result, Silverlight will play an important role in helping advance the Web with a platform for creating rich, interactive experiences.”

Web Developers Test-Drive the Latest Microsoft Web Technologies

The combination of Microsoft Silverlight and the latest platform and tooling enhancements make the .NET Framework unequaled for building and delivering Web, Windows, and rich interactive applications. The .NET Framework now also has unparalleled support for developer and designer tools and multiple languages, ensuring the most productive experience for developers and designers alike. Today’s announcements include the following:

• Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 beta availability. Optimized for the Web, Microsoft Silverlight enables developers and designers to easily use existing skills and Visual Studio and Expression Studio tools to deliver media experiences and rich interactive applications. Silverlight works with any back-end Web platform or technology, seamlessly integrating with existing infrastructure and applications, including Apache and PHP, as well as JavaScript and XHTML on the client. Beta 1.0 includes a go-live license, which means customers can deploy their Silverlight applications in production. Final availability of Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 is scheduled for summer 2007.
• Microsoft Silverlight 1.1 Alpha availability. Based on the .NET Framework, Silverlight 1.1 Alpha offers broader tools and language support. It enables developers to take advantage of support for powerful .NET features including ASP.NET AJAX and Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) language, with full IntelliSense® editing enabled for client and server code; powerful cross-platform debugging capabilities; and rich language support for JavaScript, Visual Basic, C#, Python and Ruby.
• Expression Studio now shipping. Expression Studio, Microsoft’s end-to-end tools for creative designers, boosts collaboration with developers in the delivery of next-generation user experiences for Windows, the Web and beyond.
• Microsoft Silverlight Streaming. Silverlight Streaming is a new companion service for Silverlight that makes it easier for developers and designers to deliver and scale rich media as part of their Silverlight applications.
• Windows Live Platform Terms of Use. Microsoft is enabling the developer community to take advantage of the Windows Live services infrastructure and gain access to all the APIs through a simple, consistent set of terms that address multiyear supportability, scale, cost structure and commercial use of the platform. In addition, Microsoft announced new APIs to support programmatic access to Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Contacts and Windows Live Messenger.

PressPass: Aren’t there already technologies that enable this?

When asked how Silverlight differentiates itself, Forest Key, Director of Product Management, Microsoft Corp., said, "We see three primary areas of differentiation. From a consumer perspective, it is all about creating better, higher quality experiences – the tools and technology to get you there are largely irrelevant. Silverlight will enable higher quality and better applications in the browser.

For business decision makers and content owners, though, it is all about cost, quality and control. Silverlight takes advantage of the huge Windows Media ecosystem that already exists and can deliver video that spans from the Web to devices – from low-bandwidth experiences to HD – embedded to full-screen. No one else can deliver this today. It also offers deep access to rich infrastructure technologies like ASP.NET, IIS7 and Windows Streaming Media Services which significantly reduces costs and simplifies management of infrastructure – in fact, partners have told us the cost is up to 50 percent less than other solutions.

From a developer and designer standpoint, it comes down to the breadth of the platform, continuity, flexibility and productivity. Silverlight is a factored version of .NET that is optimized for the Web and simple deployment. It carries with it proven technology, access to a variety of languages for development, such as JavaScript, VB, C#, Ruby and Python, WPF support for controls and code-reuse, AJAX integration, and more. So, we are providing a highly integrated set of tools that facilitate new levels of collaboration between designers and developers and allows them to build amazing experiences while addressing the “lost in translation” issue that is so common at most organizations. This also means that skills are transferable – anyone who knows how to build Silverlight applications can easily build Web Standards-based applications on the server (ASP.NET) or desktop applications with WPF.

MIX07 runs through Wednesday in Las Vegas. More information — including customer and partner videos and demos, keynote clips, Microsoft product overviews, and footage from the event floor — can be found by visiting http://visitmix.com.

Product Information and Availability

The Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 Beta and 1.1 Alpha are available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight. Those interested in learning more about Silverlight and joining its growing community can visit http://www.silverlight.net. Expression Studio is expected to be commercially available in May 2007. Customers interested in pre-ordering Expression Studio can visit http://www.amazon.com for details.