Silverlight in action

Microsoft is developing its answer to Adobe's Flash in the name of Silverlight.

According to PC World, Microsoft will begin shipping its Silverlight 1.0 platform Friday. First announced in April, Silverlight is a programming model and runtime browser plug-in for running rich applications and supporting video.

Microsoft showed off Silverlight playing a baseball game within a browser that featured picture-in-picture capabilities and the ability to talk to other users during the game. Silverlight partnerships with Major League Baseball, Netflix, Akamai Technologies, Brightcove, and Eyeblaster.

The flash rival is targeting three audiences: content providers, designers and developers, and end users looking for the best interactive experience.