Microsoft using Beijing Olympics to boost Silverlight takeup

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 31 July 2008 03:14

Business IT - Networking

While Silverlight is required for the full user experience, it is not essential for watching Olympics coverage online.

"There will be a basic Web experience available for PC users who opt not to install Silverlight," said Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the Microsoft's developer division.

That's a sensible plan, as there is considerable resistance to Silverlight in some quarters. For example, the debut of the New York Times' Times Reader application for Mac OS X drew vocal criticism for its use of Silverlight.

According to some analysts, Silverlight needs to be on between 50 and 80 percent of Internet-enabled PCs before it will be a mainstream choice for web developers. Microsoft's Silverlight strategy appears to be based on getting it adopted by high profile sites such as Discovery Channel, Entertainment Tonight, World Wrestling Entertainment, Major League Baseball and now NBC's Olympics coverage as a way of encouraging the public to install the player.

Silverlight 2 is currently in beta, and is expected to be released later this northern summer.