With the release of Microsoft Silverlight, Microsoft introduced a new and exciting way to create cutting edge rich Internet applications (RIAs). The size of these applications developed by Silverlight users influences the download time and consumption of network resources. In response to the call for faster download and conservation of resources, ComponentOne, a leading component vendor in the Microsoft Visual Studio Industry Partner program, announced the release of ComponentOne XapOptimizer. XapOptimizer is a stand-alone utility that reduces the size of XAP files by removing unused classes and XAML resources.

In the third quarter of 2008, ComponentOne announced the community technology preview (CTP) of ComponentOne XapOptimizer. Today, this stand-alone utility, which allows developers to reduce the size of their Silverlight applications and secure their code, has been released to general availability.

"ComponentOne XapOptimizer is the ultimate tool for any serious Silverlight developer," said Chris Meredith , product manager at ComponentOne. "The size of a Silverlight application may be reduced by up to 70% without any loss in functionality." Meredith explained that XapOptimizer will benefit any Silverlight developer, regardless of whether they use third party controls or the in-the-box controls that come packaged with Silverlight. It may be added to the build process; therefore, optimization and obfuscation will take place automatically with each new build.

"ComponentOne's XapOptimizer allows Microsoft .NET developers to easily reduce the size of their Silverlight applications while protecting sensitive code, which increases overall developer productivity," said Brad Becker , director of rich client platforms and tools at Microsoft Corp. "Microsoft continues to be delighted by the myriad ways partners such as ComponentOne are innovating to deliver essential benefits to the Microsoft developer community."

A ComponentOne XapOptimizer license will be sold per developer seat, and retails for US$500. It will join ComponentOne's award winning product line including Studio Enterprise. Studio Enterprise, the company's flagship product, is a comprehensive suite of visual components. For US$1300 per developer seat, Studio Enterprise bundles Studio for WinForms, Studio for WPF, Studio for ASP.NET, Studio for Silverlight, Studio for iPhone, Studio for Mobile, and Studio for ActiveX together. ComponentOne offers online purchase options at http://www.componentone.com or by telephone at +1-412-681-4343 or +1-800-858-2739.