Microsoft is stepping up its Silverlight game. Together with the National Basketball Association, the Redmond company is getting ready to slam dunk its Silverlight technology on NBA.com, WNBA.com and NBADevelopmentLeague.com. The move is but the latest in a subtle Microsoft campaign designed to bring Silverlight into the lime light. The Redmond company's cross-browser and multiplatform plug-in (although support for the Linux open source operating system still has to be offered) is a direct competitor for Adobe Flash. Since Silverlight's launch at MIX07 earlier this year, the near-monopoly of the Windows platform was not leveraged to push the technology. Instead Microsoft opted for evangelizing Silverlight for various Internet hotspots, and the NBA is an illustrative example.

"As NBA.com's usage continues to soar, Microsoft's innovative Silverlight will provide our fans with access to more multimedia and video highlights than ever before. This will be a great application for us to further showcase both historic and current NBA photos and video on NBA.com", revealed Steve Grimes, vice president of interactive services for NBA Entertainment.

In the three NBA websites, Silverlight will be integrated for the delivery of a full-screen photo gallery as well as the Association's digital video library. Microsoft is currently cooking version 2.0 of Silverlight, the successor of v1.1. At this point in time, the company only deals with the rebranding process, as Silverlight 2.0 is scheduled to take center stage at MIX08, next year.

"As we enter a new NBA season, we're thrilled to partner with the NBA to bring that courtside experience through. Silverlight is focused on delivering rich media scenarios in a browser that provides a more consistent viewing experience, and because it supports the VC-1 codec, the NBA is able to provide fans with access to hours and hours of archived games. Fans can catch up or relive their favorite moments whenever they want", added Scott Guthrie, general manager in the Developer Division at Microsoft.