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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010
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Microsoft to Release Free Anti-Virus Software Soon

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(Newser) – Microsoft is developing free anti-virus software to compete with subscription services from Symantec and McAfee, Reuters reports. The program, codenamed Morro, will be released in beta “soon” and will likely have similar features to other companies’ entry-level products that cost about $40 a year. Microsoft made an attempt to enter the subscription market in 2006 with the poorly received Live OneCare, which the company is scrapping.

An industry analyst sees the product as a "long-term competitive threat" to Symantec and McAfee, but those companies are, not surprisingly, downplaying the threat. “Microsoft's free product is basically a stripped down version of the OneCare product Microsoft pulled from the shelves,” a Symantec exec said. A McAfee spokesman said the company was already doing well against currently available free software.

The Microsoft logo.
The Microsoft logo.   (AP Photo)
Enrique T. Salem, President and Chief Executive Officer, Symantec Corporation.
Enrique T. Salem, President and Chief Executive Officer, Symantec Corporation.   (AP Photo)
A man walks on the Microsoft headquarters campus.
A man walks on the Microsoft headquarters campus.   (AP Photo)
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4 comments
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rajanKazhmin
Jun 11, 09 2:44 PM CDT
It's a trap! Reply
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+1
Robert_Dada
Jun 11, 09 2:56 PM CDT
There's already a real good free anti-virus program: AVG. Uses little resources, behaves well in the background and catches things many others don't. Sorry Microsoft, just like the Zune, you are coming up with too little too late. Reply
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+2
sirjorge.com
Jun 11, 09 6:01 PM CDT
free is free i guess. Reply
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+1
ack
Jun 13, 09 7:32 PM CDT
Don't forget Avast. But you know, Microsoft may come late to the game, but it does tend to do things pretty well -- even if it takes a few tries. And considering what crap Symantec makes (if I wanted a slow computer I'd dig out my old 386), I can't see it being much worse. Reply
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Internet • Microsoft • software • computer virus • free • Symantec • McAfee • Morro • program

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