Microsoft Silverlight

Microsoft Silverlight: Browser Plugin and Runtime Environment

Microsoft Silverlight is a browser plugin and runtime environment that allows developers to create and deliver rich interactive applications and media experiences on the web. It provides capabilities for graphics, animations, audio and video playback, and more.

What is Microsoft Silverlight?

Microsoft Silverlight is a deprecated application framework and browser plugin that provides functionalities for building and delivering rich web applications that incorporate multimedia, graphics, animations, and interactivity. It was initially released in 2007.

Silverlight offers capabilities such as:

• Vector-based graphics and animations
• Video playback and streaming
• Audio playback and streaming
• UI controls and components for building rich interfaces
• Support for .NET languages and debugging
• Integration with Microsoft Visual Studio for development
• Cross-platform capabilities across browsers and devices

It runs on a wide variety of web browsers on both Windows and Mac operating systems. Out-of-browser trusted applications could also be developed with elevated permissions to access local file system and system resources.

Microsoft ended standard support for Silverlight 5 in 2021. It is now considered a deprecated technology after being succeeded by HTML5 and other modern web standards. However, some enterprise applications may still rely on Silverlight for legacy reasons.

Microsoft Silverlight Features

Official Links