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Microsoft Plans To Sell Anti-Virus Software

Posted by timothy on from the takes-one-to-know-one dept.

EvilCowzGoMoo writes "From the makers of our favorite OS comes: Anti-Virus! Yes you heard me right. According to an article on Reuters.com Microsoft is developing its own brand of anti-virus software. Asked if that would hurt sales of competing products, such as Network Associates' McAfee and Symantec's Norton family of products, Nash (chief of Microsoft's security business unit) said that Microsoft said that it would sell its anti-virus program as a separate product from Windows, rather than including it in Windows. My only question is: If they can't seem to patch their OS fast enough, what makes them think they can keep their AV software up to date?"

6 of 830 comments (clear)

  1. Re:A part of the OS by strictnein · · Score: 4, Informative

    Ahh! You didn't even read the whole news post! MS isn't going to bundle this!

    It's not that you didn't RTFA... I mean... all you had to do is read another sentence or two:

    Asked if that would hurt sales of competing products, such as Network Associates' McAfee and Symantec's Norton family of products, Nash (chief of Microsoft's security business unit) said that Microsoft said that it would sell its anti-virus program as a separate product from Windows, rather than including it in Windows.

    --
    Casual Games/Downloads
  2. IIRC by foidulus · · Score: 4, Informative

    Microsoft actually made an anti-virus programs back in the days of DOS/Win 3.11. My first computer came bundled with it. However, the only virus I ever got back then(Doom2 death), it couldn't remove. Though it did alert me to the fact that the files grew by 666 bytes(they don't write 'em like they used to, do they). It also had this nice little 16 color doctor you could watch as your files were being scanned.

    1. Re:IIRC by ALecs · · Score: 4, Informative

      Central Point, actually. MS re-packaged a lot of Central Point's software - from PCTools 8 or 9 I think.

  3. Re:A part of the OS by ImpiousPunk · · Score: 5, Informative

    Like all "Great" Microsoft products, they didn't develop anything. They bought someone up and slapped their name on it. http://www.ravantivirus.com/

  4. Re:Perhaps It Belongs in the OS by westlake · · Score: 3, Informative

    Outlook and Outlook Express do not let you open attachments by default. This was fixed about two years back, and it is about time that Slashdot took notice.

  5. Re:Perhaps It Belongs in the OS by Dog+and+Pony · · Score: 4, Informative

    Where to begin? Code available via internet, running outlook, not firewalled (enough), not patched (enough) and the list just keeps on going.

    Nah, it would be all too easy to answer that question.