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The agreement will see Microsoft write a version of the software for Nokia's Series 60 smartphones, bringing video and rich media to mobile web browsers. The software will also run on Nokia's tablet devices, such as the N800.

Microsoft will produce a version of Silverlight for its own Windows Mobile devices later in the year. The company is also keen to work with other phone manufacturers to port Silverlight to their devices, according to reports.

The mobile announcements reinforce Microsoft's strategy of trying to make Silverlight an ubiquitous web technology, in the hope that developers will use it to create sophisticated online applications. "The whole Silverlight strategy is to provide one programming model and ubiquity," John Case, general manager for Microsoft's developer division told CNet.

Microsoft now has versions of Silverlight for Windows and Macs, and is working with Novell to create a Linux-compatible flavour of the software.