Microsoft announced Jan. 16 that the Presidential Inaugural Committee has selected the company's Silverlight technology to enable live and on-demand video streaming of the official inauguration swearing-in ceremony on the PIC Web site.

As part of its effort to hold the most open and accessible inauguration in history, on Saturday, Jan. 17, the PIC will also stream video of a Baltimore event on the Whistle Stop Tour that will take President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden to Washington, D.C., from Philadelphia, Microsoft said on Jan. 16.

Microsoft teamed with iStreamPlanet to develop and implement the rich media player experience powered by Microsoft Silverlight. "We welcome the opportunity to work with Microsoft again to demonstrate our expertise and ability to meet the challenges involved in such a watershed event in the history of Webcasting," said Mio Babic, CEO of iStreamPlanet.

Click here to read about how carriers are preparing for an unprecedented flurry of text messages and wireless use during Obama's inauguration.

Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, added, "Microsoft is proud to be part of this event by helping to bring the inauguration activities online. Just as during the campaign itself, Internet technology is enabling people around the world to participate more directly in historic events in new and exciting ways."

Speaking of the technology, Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the .NET Developer Division at Microsoft, said, "Microsoft Silverlight was built to enable people to consume online content in unique and engaging ways. This will be a truly historic event, and we are honored to enable online viewers to participate and create really meaningful experiences."

This will not be the first such use of Silverlight by the Democratic Party for a national event. In August the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee used Microsoft Silverlight to stream convention proceedings, including President-elect Obama's acceptance speech.