Microsoft continues to evolve its Silverlight cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for generating rich Internet applications and Web content, and users are anxiously awaiting the features due in the next release.

The Redmond, Wash., software giant released Silverlight 1.0 in September, along with a 1.1 update. Then on Nov. 29, Microsoft announced that it was renaming Silverlight 1.1 to Silverlight 2.0. And in addition to adding support for .NET, Microsoft is taking the next version of Silverlight further by adding a comprehensive control model, powerful skinning/theming, data binding and over 20 controls in the box, Microsoft said.

Although Microsoft has not set a specific date for when it will release Silverlight 2.0, the company expects to release a beta version with a Go-Live license during the first quarter of 2008—most likely in time for its MIX 08 conference in early March.

"Silverlight 2.0 is the version we're excited about," said Scott Stanfield, CEO of Vertigo Software, based in Point Richmond, Calif. "Although we are very active with our customers using Silverlight 1.0 today, you have to program it in JavaScript. Nothing against JavaScript—it's better than Flash's ActionScript; it's just the tools aren't as good as what we're used to with Visual Studio. Silverlight 2.0 gives us three things on our Christmas list: .NET language support, more UI [user interface] controls and hopefully, a larger installed base."

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Silverlight, Microsoft