Microsoft dumps OneCare, slates free security software for '09

Rival Symantec calls move 'capitulation' by Microsoft, failure of OneCare


(Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. will dump its Windows Live OneCare consumer security software next year and instead give away revamped, streamlined antimalware software that it's calling "Morro" for the moment.

A longtime rival called the move the equivalent of Microsoft raising the white flag. "We view this announcement as a capitulation by Microsoft and a reinforcement of the notion that it's simply not in Microsoft's DNA to provide high-quality, frequently updated security protection," said Rowan Trollope, senior vice president of consumer software at Symantec Corp., in an e-mail today.

Morro, which will rely on the same scanning engine that OneCare and other Microsoft security products currently use, will be available in the second half of 2009, said Amy Barzdukas, a senior director of product management at Microsoft. The software will provide a "basic level of antimalware protection," including defenses against viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits and spyware, she said.

Windows Live OneCare, meanwhile, will get the boot as of June 30, when it will be dropped from retail sales.

Barzdukas cited two reasons why Microsoft decided to take its consumer security software down the free road. "First, the incidence of malware continues to go through the roof," she said. "Malware is also 'quieter' than it used to be, and people have the lowest level of concern over malware since 2004. Users aren't connecting the dots."


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I think one care is better than symantec's Norton :tounge:

ANYTHING is better than Norton.

Belahzur wrote:

ANYTHING is better than Norton.

Are you sure? I heard Norton has been improving quite a lot.

There improvements are still limited.

As of Norton Internet Security 2009, the only things that they have improved are the GUI, and the memory utilization. Other than that, it updates slowly, downloads massive updates at once (A huge no-no in the anti-malware world), slows down the users internet connection(Terrible packet filtering from its firewall.) and still cannot catch a viral fly.


However, OneCare is not much better. No offense to Microsoft, but onecare cannot catch anything, slows down the users internet connection, and is TERRIBLE about wasting good ram.