Today, Microsoft announced the India availability of Silverlight 1.0, a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in that promises powerful media experiences across the Web.

Microsoft says the possibilities are endless with Silverlight 1.0, whether it's booking tickets simply by connecting destinations on an online map, or setting-off on a seamless virtual tour of myriad destinations.

Silverlight 1.0 integrates with existing Web technologies, and promises consistent experiences to both Windows and Mac users on a variety of browsers.

"I believe that businesses can use Silverlight 1.0 to create strong differentiators and customer loyalty. This is particularly important because companies in India are beginning to increasingly adopt online models of business, often in addition to existing off-line ones," said Tarun Gulati, general manager (Developer and Platform Evangelism) of Microsoft India, during the launch.

Some early adapters of the technology including Sify.com and Rediff.com are planning on delivering Silverlight-based experiences to viewers and customers.

Bhaskar Saiapparaju, chief executive officer of Sify, said they are looking at ways to redefine user experience by introducing rich interactive elements, vector graphics, animation, and high definition TV experiences.

Manish Agarwal, vice president (Marketing) of Rediff.com, said that with Silverlight 1.0, they would be able to move closer to their challenge -- that of providing a navigable experience for over 43 million users to browse over 2 million books by nearly 4,000 authors.

Microsoft said it is working with Novell to deliver Silverlight for Linux, which will be called 'Moonlight'.

Recently, Microsoft launched a complete product suite -- Expression Studio -- for the designer community. In combination, Silverlight 1.0, Expression Studio, and Visual Studio 08 promise easy and seamless creation of rich user experiences across platforms.

Those interested in the new technology can download Silverlight 1.0 for free at: http://www.silverlight.net.