Other efforts to be pondered at the conference include the planned IDE, the for cloud computing and Expression Web, for building Web sites.

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Mix09, which begins on Tuesday, is billed as an event for developers and designers, with an emphasis on Web development and design skills. While Microsoft representatives declined to comment on specific announcements planned for the event, an industry analyst focused on Microsoft said he anticipates news about Silverlight 3 as well as other developments from the company.

"Mainly, I'm looking for Silverlight 3 and Expression 3 announcements. I think that's going to be the highlight," said analyst Rob Sanfilippo, research vice president for developer platforms at Directions on Microsoft, an independent research firm.

Other possibilities at the event include release of bits for Internet Explorer 8 and a licensing plan for Azure Services Platform, Sanfilippo said.