Long fuse for Microsoft's security challenge

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Reply: "There not shipping anti-spyware with windows.
How does there monopoly have to do with competing with security firms? There not shipping it with windows...and just because they make money off windows and can undercut prices on security product doesn't mean they have a unfair advantage either. Symantec makes more then just AV and Anti-Spyware software."

1. Learn english. You mean their, the posessive of they, not there as in that place that is not here.

2. Their monopoly has everything to do with competing security firms. There is nothing that says that XP SP3 will no include a Spyware/AV install as part of their increased security initiative. I would be very surpised if it didn't. They have to insure that every customer is protected after all, right?

3. The fact that MS Windows has a built in 90+% proffit margin gives them tremendous leverage against any company they choose to compete against. Anything they can "build into" the OS inherits a tremendous amount of inertia into the market just by virtue of being vended by every major desktop player out there. When you walk into Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, etc., or shop Dell, HP and/or Gateway on the web, and all you see is Windows fo everyone, then you get MS everything everywhere by vitue of market initia. I would even expect that before they actually make these products part of the base MS Windows package, they will push them out to the different retail sites to "add features" for their sales teams.

4. Symmantec makes more than just AV, but the health of their company is as tied to AV at the moment as MS's is to Windows and Office. Cut that rug out from under them, especially through monopoly muscle instead of pure product value or market prefference, and you HAVE done the customer a disservice bordering on harm.

"Sherman Anti-Trust laws mean nothing if the company's are not hurting consumers. Microsoft making security products cheaper helps us consumers not hurts us. Microsoft should be cheered not jeered."

Sherman Anti-Trust regulations are very relavent to this discussion as it is another potential IE/WMP fiasco in the making. Both of these products, by different court systems, have been found to have obtained an unfair market advantage due to MS's monopoly position. While their Anti-Malware products have not followed the same path yet, it is way to early in the game to assume they won't. It at least bears watching.

MS making security products cheaper does not necessarily help customers. The Giant product they bought is a perfect example. It is as good as anything out there right now, but they did not buy the engineers that built and maintained it. Will it reamin and industry leading product? Will customers be lulled into a false sense of security because of the MS brand name, price and convenience of it being auto installed by auto update?

I cannot in good conscience cheer for MS. I find it difficult to root for any company that is leveraging it's own short comings into an opportunity to improve it's profits and cement it's market position. I won't jeer tham either though. If this is the best they can do to close the holes in their systems, then go for it, but make it a technical responce. Do not leverage this into another gun in the technology market share war.; Posted by: Mack DaNife Posted on: 02/17/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use