Microsoft Aims to Outshine Adobe's Flash
In a bid to capitalize on the burgeoning online video market, the tech titan(Microsoft) is launching Silverlight, its new video-player software. The explosion of Web video has opened a new front in the battle between Adobe Systems (ADBE) and Microsoft (MSFT), each shooting for a bigger share of software that can create and serve up clips. For companies that publish online videos—and the advertisers who sponsor them—the result could be new technology that squelches piracy, cuts download times, and lets consumers watch programs even when they're offline. Microsoft and Adobe will both unveil new video-playing software at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas on Apr. 16. Both companies are aiming to capitalize on a growing market for Internet video ads, expected to grow from $1.5 billion market in 2007 to $4.2 billion in 2011, according to market researcher Yankee Group. Dueling Debuts Adobe's Flash Player, installed on more than 700 million PCs, has beco...