When we were listening to Steve Ballmer's comments about Microsoft's 'all in' approach to HTML5, we couldn't shake one nagging thought - what about Silverlight? The company's multi-platform 'Flash killer' was designed to enable many of the same web-based multimedia experiences as HTML5, so could this be a subtle farewell for the platform?
In some ways, it appears it was. Speaking to CNET at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) last week, Microsoft's Bob Muglia explained that for Silverlight, "our strategy has shifted". The focus now - as Ballmer made clear in his keynote address - is on HTML5, which Muglia described as "the only true cross platform solution for everything, including (Apple's) iOS platform".
So does this mean that Silverlight is dead and buried? Not quite. While it will no longer be pushed as a multiplatform solution, it will live on as the "development platform for Windows Phone" alongside a few of the company's other core technologies. Of course, the plug-in will still find some favour for certain uses on other platforms, specifically in select media and 'line-of-business' applications.
This doesn't mean that there are any major changes to the platform in the pipeline though, as the release of Silverlight 5 - currently planned for next year - will be "very much in line" with the current version. However, it's clear that Microsoft is backing off its own format and putting its full weight behind HTML5.
