The Expression software allows designers to work in conventional drag-and-drop environments while producing underlying code in Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) that can be directly exchanged with developers creating business applications, custom portals and other software and services for Windows Vista. Expression will run only on Windows.

Microsoft is highlighting the usability and design of Vista and Office 2007, which rely on enhanced user interfaces made possible by Expression and Vista's graphical framework, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). That combination could radically improve the usability of business applications, mini-applications such as "gadgets" and "widgets," portals and more, said Bola Rotibi, an analyst at London technology consulting firm Ovum Ltd.

"The Expression tools are pretty sophisticated," Rotibi said. "Any CIO would be foolish not to have at least one eye on what's coming and thinking 'How do I make the most of this?'"

Both Expression Graphic Designer, which combines Photoshop- and Illustrator-like features, and Expression Web Designer, which is similar to Dreamweaver, could be released by the end of this year, said Wayne Smith, Expression product manager at Microsoft.

Of the new software, Graphic Designer is the most mature. It was first released in 1996 by Fractal Design Corp. as a cutting-edge vector drawing tool. The software bounced among several owners before Microsoft bought it in 2003.