(E) Marketing - Geek

The editor of Redmond presented his alternative to Adobe animation solution, widespread. Called Silverlight, it focuses on video in order to dethrone Flash on community platforms such as YouTube or MySpace.

Microsoft is addressing the new market of animation for websites. To walk on the beds and the Adobe Flash technologieÂ, the publisher introduced Silverlight, a solution previously known under the code name of WPF / E (Windows Presentation Foundation / Everywhere). User side, it comes in the form of a plug-in to download, weighing less than 2 MB, which is installed in the browser, on the same principle as the Flash.
The additive works with Internet Explorer unsurprisingly, but also with Apple's Safari browser and Firefox. Â "Silverlight is cross-browser and cross-platform (Mac / Windows) Â" said the Redmond
Silverlight allows you to view animations of type vector, but also multimedia content including audio and video. Microsoft also puts emphasis on video, home-based format Windows Media Video.

Flash compete on platforms like YouTube
Silverlight could thus be a way to reinvigorate the Windows Media Video technology on platforms exchange of content such as YouTube or MySpace. Both have so far retained for Flash video streaming.
The Brightcove platform, along the lines of YouTube, said he was so interested in Silverlight. Â "We have not used Windows Media Video because the user experience was not, in our opinion, satisfaisanteÂ" comments to our U.S. Editor Adma Berrey, vice president of marketing for the company. Â "The most interesting thing with Silverlight is the technology integration of Windows Media Video more ergonomically in navigateurÂ".
Microsoft should release a beta version of Silverlight by the end of the month. This plug-in will of course be accompanied by the associated development tools. For now, the publisher simply indicates that its tools will enable companies in the media sector to make web content  "high quality, while controlling and minimizing the costs of diffusionÂ". Tariffs have not yet been disclosed.
The presentation of Silverlight comes amid Adobe launches new version of its suite of graphic design, CS3, Flash integrates several software including Photoshop. It has of course a dedicated application: Flash CS3 Professional. The suite is available in English and French version will be marketed in  "before ETEA".

Source: ZDnet.fr