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SCI/TECH: Microsoft Buying Anti-Virus Software Co.

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posted on Feb, 8 2005 @ 11:47 AM
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Microsoft announced that it is buying the anti-virus software company, Sybari Software, Inc. This move will place Microsoft in direct competition with Symantec and McAfee Inc. Some speculate that this move by Microsoft into the anti-virus market is an attempt to prevent Internet Explorer losing more ground to other internet browsers.
 



olympics.reuters.com
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday said it would buy anti-virus software maker Sybari Software Inc. in a direct challenge to Symantec and McAfee Inc., which currently dominate that market.
If Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, bundles anti-virus features into its Windows operating system, security software makers could feel the pressure, analysts said.

"Microsoft's acquisition of Sybari will get them into the anti-virus market specializing in e-mail protection, a negative for Symantec and McAfee," said Sterling Auty, an analyst with JP Morgan.

McAfee shares were down 5.4 percent. Symantec, which recently bought storage software company Veritas to diversify and reduce its dependence on security, was off 3.9 percent.

Auty estimates the Sybari deal will put Microsoft in competition for business representing up to 5 percent of Symantec's revenue and 8 percent of McAfee's revenue.

Closely held Sybari provides anti-virus protection for e-mail systems, primarily Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes. Terms of the proposed acquisition were not disclosed.



Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


Some have wondered if it would be wise to buy an anti-virus software from a company that is known for having to continually patch its software and who has a history of producing updates on a monthly rather than a daily basis, as is the practice of most anti-virus companies today. It has been pointed out that anti-virus software is no longer a product, but a service. Others wonder why anti-virus software companies have not pursued more aggressively the anti-spyware threat. It is believed that Microsoft will produce a product that addresses both the virus and spyware problem.

Related News Links:
www.computerworld.com.au


[edit on 05/2/8 by GradyPhilpott]



posted on Feb, 8 2005 @ 12:00 PM
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Well Micro$oft already have the Beta release of their adware/spyware product available as a free download and it seems ok so far. I do wonder what the "subscription" rates will be for it's offerings though.

Surfing the web on a daily basis has become a minefield with so many viruses and adware/spyware hidden. I have also helped out a couple of people who have bought home PC's that have become infected within minutes of startup and connection to the net, in one case causing a complete net denial problem.
Perhaps having an operating system with built in spyware / virus protection from the moment of first startup would be a winner for the average user. All the box shifting suppliers would have to do is update definition files in a pre-delivery check of the system.
I still find it hard to comprehend that the likes of McAfee or Symantec products are not bundled with systems from the outset.



posted on Feb, 8 2005 @ 12:03 PM
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This is the second anti-virus company they purchased.
They bought a Romanian company called GeCAD Software in 2003.

I guess that one wasn't up to snuff.



posted on Feb, 8 2005 @ 12:47 PM
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Hmmm imagine if they made the perfect secuirty system that stopped all the spyware / adware / virus ... I guess it would be like the stroy about the candle maker that made the candles that never ran out.

Sometimes I wonder if it is the antivirus companies that make the virus to fuel there own profits.

I have been using pc's for the last 5 years or so with the bulk of this use on the net. My computer has never crashed or had trouble due to a virus - I used AGV for a long time and now I use Nortan Security (cause it came with a new computer) - I really push the free avg side, I never had any problems when using free agv and I would not recommend anyone to pay for anitvirus software.



posted on Feb, 8 2005 @ 03:06 PM
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who else laughs when they see "Microsoft" and "security" in the same sentence?

I found a great way to practically eliminate spyware. it's called Firefox.
And if i'm feeling really hard-core, there's Red Hat Linux. Easy enough for me to use it.

I see computer security like protecting your property. You can learn the basics, do it yourself, and get tough, or you can let Some Big Company do it for you. Just like we are now not allowed to defend our homes but must let The Police do it all for you...

Bah! Give me a shotgun, and a good open source virus stopper!



posted on Feb, 8 2005 @ 08:55 PM
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Originally posted by smokinjoe
I really push the free avg side, I never had any problems when using free agv and I would not recommend anyone to pay for anitvirus software.


Anti-virus software is so inexpensive as to be virtually free, especially when you factor in the peace of mind. Maybe the free is better, maybe it isn't. Maybe Microsoft's SP2 anti-virus and firewall work, maybe they don't. I'll never know for sure, because I would never hook to the internet with with those alone. Maybe Norton isn't the best or the fastest, but now that I have some experience under my belt, its keeping me safe and at the price, I see no reason to take any chances.



posted on Feb, 9 2005 @ 11:19 AM
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The EU will not like it if they start bundling it with windows! Haven't they learnt from being given the largest fine ever handed out to a company over Internet explorer?



posted on Feb, 9 2005 @ 04:02 PM
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That won't stop them from bundling elsewhere. They already have the firewall and the anti-virus protection bundled as of SP2. Most global companies have different marketing practices for the various local markets and regulations, anyway.



posted on Feb, 9 2005 @ 04:15 PM
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Yeah, their buying an Antivirus Co. Todays paper said Windows has major problems from various forms of Viruses and to immediately log into Microsoft for a download of a boatload of XP s-pack2 software upgrades, so I did and I was surprised even running a P4 through Broadband it took almost ten minutes for the antivirus upgrades from MS.

Soooo, its a big upgrade. Thanks McAfee for complaining to MS about the openings in their XP software. BTW I just switched from Symantec/Norton to McAfee Anti Virus protection.
Dallas



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