Microsoft plans to roll out the beta version of its free anti-virus software for PCs, code-named Morro, putting Microsoft in competition with anti-virus companies such as McAfee and Symantec. Analysts see the move as a competitive threat to those companies, which make anti-virus products that have long been a part of the Microsoft Windows ecosystem.Microsoft
plans to launch a free anti-virus service for PCs "soon," according
to the company. The program, code-named Morro and eventually available for
download from Microsoft's Website, could represent a potential long-term threat
to companies such as Symantec and McAfee that market anti-virus software for
PCs.
The code name apparently is in reference to Morro de Sao Paolo, a village on
the island of Tinhare
in Brazil, one
of the emerging markets that Microsoft is attempting to penetrate with the
release. Microsoft originally announced the free software in November 2008, and
has suggested that Morro will replace Live OneCare, another anti-virus product
that failed to gain substantive market traction.
Early reports suggest that Morro will be comparable in its offerings to
low-end software from McAfee, Symantec and other companies in the space, which
make programs generally costing between $40 and $50. Morro will protect against
viruses and spyware, as well as rootkits and Trojans. The question remains
whether some of the features that users expect from other products, such as
encryption and data backup, will also be present.
Some analysts reportedly see Microsoft's entry as a potential danger to
those companies. "It's a long-term competitive threat," Daniel Ives,
an analyst with FBR Capital Markets, told Reuters.
At least publicly, one of the potential companies seemed ready for battle.
"On a level playing field, we are confident in our ability to compete
with anyone who might enter the marketplace," Joris Evers, a spokesperson
for McAfee, also told Reuters.
McAfee
and Symantec have been wrestling with other issues as of late. Both companies
agreed on June 10 to pay $375,000 each as part of a settlement with New York
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo's office over claims that the companies failed
to adequately notify customers about the terms of the subscription renewal
process and charged customers without their consent.
Microsoft
has been attempting to reduce its vulnerabilities, as well. On June 9, the
company updated with 10 security bulletins designed to plug 31 vulnerabilities
as part of a Patch Tuesday update. The fixes include eight Internet Explorer
vulnerabilities, including a critical one affecting Internet Explorer 8.
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