Microsoft has said that it will not provide free antivirus protection for Windows Vista, but instead sell it as a subscription service through Windows OneCare.
The likely reason? Fear of regulators.
Jim Allchin, co-president of Microsoft’s platform products and services division, told reseller magazineCRN that safety and security, improved user experience, and mobility features will be key additions in Vista. But there will be no anti-virus software, the Windows development supremo said during a questions and answers session with CRN. For unspecified business (not technical) reasons, Microsoft will sell anti-virus protection to consumers through its OneCare online backup and security service.
If Microsoft were to release a free antivirus product, it would likely spend years in court with federal and European courts, charged yet again as an evil monopoly.
Looked differently:
If Microsoft were to release a free antivirus product, it would likely protect hundreds of millions of computers that would have been protected if their OEM Norton subscriptions hadn’t expired.
I guess its all about perspective. Point is: Microsoft can’t do many things it would, things which, regardless of motivation, would greatly benefit users, because of a fear of the courts. When I was at Microsoft, you could feel that fear, and the sadness some Microsoft employees felt when they talked about how much more they could do if only the courts hadn’t handicapped the company years ago.
UPDATE: Scoble speaks of the fear in development teams to do something risky or different. That fear combines with the fear I just mentioned to handicap Microsoft in ways you can’t imagine. Just try to remember how much talent is at that company, and how much more they could do.
Nathan Weinberg writes the popular InsideGoogle blog, offering the latest news and insights about Google and search engines.
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