TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Microsoft to Offer Anti-Virus Software, Service

Microsoft to Offer Anti-Virus Software, Service

Lisa Minter (lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com)
Sun, 15 May 2005 00:18:11 -0500

Microsoft Corp. , the world's largest software maker, unveiled on
Thursday plans to launch a computer subscription service that would
include anti-virus and security updates for personal computers.

The Redmond, Washington-based software giant said it will initially
distribute the new service, called "Windows OneCare" among its
employees this week and will offer a trial, or beta, service for PCs
running Windows later this year. Users would pay a yearly fee for the
subscription.

In addition to providing anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall
protection, Windows OneCare will also include tools to keep PCs
maintained for optimal performance and back up key data.

Microsoft did not say how much it expected to charge for the service,
which had been expected for a while by the security software
community.

Microsoft acquired anti-virus technology from GeCAD Software Srl., a
Romanian software company, in 2003 to develop its own software. A
major security-focused update to Windows XP, called Service Pack 2,
was delivered last year.

Such efforts have hit the shares of major security software
vendors. McAfee Inc.'s shares are down 13 percent so far this year
while Symantec Corp.'s stock has declined 28 percent in the same
period.

"We're designing the service so it will continually update and evolve
over time," Ryan Hamlin, Microsoft's general manager of the Technology
Care and Safety Group said in a statement.

Nearly all of the major anti-virus security programs are designed to
be updated regularly over the Internet for a monthly or yearly fee, so
that they can cope with new virus threats as they appear.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

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