As indicated in their official website, Microsoft Silverlight is a "cross-browser, cross-platform and cross-device browser plug-in that helps companies design, develop and deliver applications and experiences on the web." Microsoft Silverlight was first released in the market on April of 2007 and it provides similar functionalities as the ones provided by Adobe Flash.

If you're a web developer or a website owner who is looking for something that will allow online users to up the ante in their browsing experience, then Microsoft Silverlight is what you should consider using. It basically integrates animations, multimedia, graphics and interactive functionalities in a single runtime environment. The good thing about using Microsoft Silverlight is that it improves the browsing experience of online users with the help of dramatic high-definition video quality and unique features that you will not get with run-of-the-mill applications.

Microsoft Silverlight 4 Made Available for Developers

From its inception in 2007, Microsoft Silverlight has already undergone several version releases, with improved functionalities each time a new one comes up. To give you an idea about the improvements made with each version, here's a quick look:

• Silverlight 1.0 consisted of core presentation frameworks.
• Silverlight 2 implemented the full Common Language Runtime version that the first version had, but it cannot be hosted in one process.
• Silverlight 3 was released in July of 2009 and it supports audio/video decoding and smooth streaming.
• Microsoft Silverlight’s latest version, Silverlight 4, was released on November 18, 2009 at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference.

According to Scott Guthrie, the corporate vice-president of Microsoft's .Net Developer platform, there are three target key areas which they improved on with Microsoft Silverlight version 4. It includes:

• Expanding beyond the functionalities of the browser.
• Displaying rich media.
• Supporting business applications.

The latest version of Microsoft Silverlight can also access webcams with client-side input access. Scanned barcodes, smooth streaming for video playback, embedded HTML hosting control and UDP multicast for peer-to-peer scenarios are just some of the additional features introduced with the Microsoft Silverlight 4.0 version.

The Beta 1 version of Microsoft Silverlight 4.0 is currently available for download. Google Chrome users will be glad to know that a new plug-in has been developed for this particular browser. Internet Explorer users, on the other hand, should work perfectly with Microsoft Silverlight – especially with the soon-to-be-released IE 9. The final version of Microsoft Silverlight 4.0 should be available for shipping in the first half of 2010.