Posted by Virus Bulletin on Nov 19, 2008
OneCare retirement announced, new product will be lighter on systems and pockets.
Microsoft has announced plans to put an end to its home-user security product Live OneCare, and to replace it with a simpler, free anti-malware product aimed at reducing numbers of unprotected Windows PCs.
The end date for OneCare sales has been set for June 30th 2009, with the replacement product, code-named Morro due to be made available in the second half of 2009. Cutting back on the range of system backup and tune-up tools included with OneCare, the new product will be a more straightforward anti-malware solution based on the core Microsoft detection engine, currently used in both OneCare and the corporate Forefront product. It will be handed out free of charge, with the aim of improving security in general by providing cover for currently unsecured systems, users in developing countries being singled out as particular targets for the new product.
Microsoft's official announcement of its plans is here, with comment on the expected impact of the move on the rest of the industry from Randy Abrams of ESET here and from Sophos's Graham Cluley here.
Posted on 19 November 2008 by Virus Bulletin
