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Microsoft to begin test of security software
By Sam Diaz, Mercury News

1 hour, 10 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/sv/20050514/tc_siliconvalley/_www11646917

Microsoft wants to be your computer's doctor. But it will have to fight more than spam and viruses -- it will also have to take on Silicon Valley pioneers who have spent years in the software-security business.


Microsoft announced Friday that it would begin testing OneCare -- a PC-health application expected to reach consumers sometime next year. But the entry of the world's biggest software maker into the security market didn't seem to scare Santa Clara's McAfee or Cupertino's Symantec, makers of already established anti-virus and other security-software programs.

``For people buying security software, it's typically all about trust,'' said McAfee President Gene Hodges. ``Who do they trust to secure their computers and do this on a reliable basis? Microsoft, even though it's a huge, powerful company, is going to have to prove to people that it can build good products and do the job well.''

Microsoft says it is looking at OneCare, its initial security-software product, to do more than just fight off the malicious attacks that have left inboxes flooded with spam and browser windows covered with pop-up ads. Its goal is also preventive: It wants to keep the personal computer healthy with an easy-to-use automated system that takes the guesswork away from the computer user.

``Customers don't differentiate between security issues, maintenance issues and support issues,'' said Dennis Bonsall, Group Program Manager for Microsoft's Technology, Care and Safety group. ``They just want someone to take care of it.''

OneCare, a separately sold subscription-based service, would be a mostly hands-off program that works in the background and sends security updates to users' computer systems without them having to download or install the fixes.

Beginning next week, Microsoft will begin testing the service through usage by its own employees. In the summer, the company will launch an invitation-only beta version for consumers and should launch a widespread consumer test by the end of the year.

Symantec, like McAfee, said in a statement issued Friday that it was ready to compete with Microsoft, noting ``the strength of the relationships we have with tens of millions of consumers around the world.''

But the Microsoft product could be attractive to less tech-savvy users, said Van Baker, an analyst at researcher Gartner.

``Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro all offer a fairly complex offering and customers don't know what else they need to worry about,'' Baker said. ``Microsoft is simplifying what is right now a mess, and in addition to protecting you, it's also going to make sure that your computer runs well.''

Bloomberg News contributed to this report. Contact Sam Diaz at [e-mail] or [phone].

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