Microsoft has announced that its Silverlight Streaming beta will be discontinued.

As first reported on LiveSide.net and as noted on the Silverlight Streaming blog: "Microsoft Silverlight Streaming by Windows Live Beta is being discontinued and will eventually be taken down." It will be replaced by a service based on Windows Azure.

However, Microsoft provided information for users who want to know what they can do in the meantime. According to the Microsoft blog:

"-  A new Windows Azure-based hosting and delivery service will be launched by the end of 2009, though this is not a direct replacement for Silverlight Streaming and will have costs associated with its use

-  You can access, retrieve and if desired remove your content that is currently hosted on Silverlight Streaming by following the instructions below [in the blog post]

-  Key dates and information about the availability of the new Windows Azure functionality, and when the existing Silverlight Streaming beta service will be taken down, will be communicated in the coming weeks"

Microsoft further explained: "Since May 2007, we have been offering a free beta service to host Silverlight applications and videos. This service is being discontinued to make way for a new Windows Azure-based service. Once this new service is launched, the current Silverlight Streaming beta service will eventually be taken down."

Meanwhile, Microsoft says all user content is safe and the blog post provides steps for retrieving Silverlight content.