Web Tech Clash Arises in Olympics

Web Tech Clash Arises in Olympics

Olympics might be the stage for the world's best athletes, but it has also become an unprecedented venue for the clash of two technological giants.  Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc. are locked in a race over who delivers the world's online video and who powers the next generation of web software.


Microsoft lends Silverlight to NBC so viewers can watch four videos at a time or follow the action with an online commentary that runs alongside the video.  About 40 million NBC viewers are able to watch 2,200 hours of live footage through Silverlight player.

Adobe Flash, on the other hand, is running on most of the world's web connected computers and powers 80 percent of the video on the Internet. Both companies are looking to win over developers who see their platforms as a new way to provide powerful web-linked programs incorporation rich graphics.