Opinion: Microsoft's MSE move is good for antivirus customers
Here is a scenario we have seen before: Microsoft leverages its domination of the operating system to muscle its way into an adjacent space. Most of the time, that is a bad thing, leading to the disappearance of smaller, more innovative competitors. The company has been rightfully slapped around for that sort of monopolistic behaviour by both US and European regulators.
But when it comes to desktop security — where Microsoft recently began offering free antimalware software via Microsoft Update — Microsoft deserves kudos, not slaps. Ironically, Microsoft may be doing consumers and IT a favour by taking on Symantec and its lumbering, customer-unfriendly line of Norton security products.
Symantec, which has huge market share and is often the default security program placed on PCs by manufacturers, has taken its customers for granted for years. Shocking as it may seem, Microsoft may be coming to the rescue.
Microsoft's automatic security download