The Presidential Inaugural Committee has selected Microsoft's Silverlight technology to enable live and on-demand video streaming of President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony at www.pic2009.org on Tuesday, the high-tech company announced. Additionally, as part of its efforts to hold the most open and accessible inauguration in history, the committee will stream video of a Baltimore, Md. event on the Whistle Stop Tour that will take Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden to D.C. from Philadelphia.

"Microsoft is proud to be part of this event by helping to bring the inauguration activities online," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said in a press release "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." In August the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee used Silverlight to stream convention proceedings, including Obama's acceptance speech.