Why has Micro$oft stayed out of the anti-virus software business?

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Virus Guy

Microsoft is starting to provide anti-spyware and anti-spamware.

Yet I don't think it is, or has ever, provided any anti-virus
software. Why not?
 
Microsoft is starting to provide anti-spyware and anti-spamware.

Yet I don't think it is, or has ever, provided any anti-virus
software. Why not?
Click to expand...

So you don't remember the old infamous MSAV then. Or the more recent
(but not very recent) aquisition of RAV by MS:

http://antivirus.about.com/library/weekly/aa061103a.htm

Hopefully, the answer to "why not" is they know better, at least for
the time being. But beware of future bungles along these lines by MS!

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
From: "Virus Guy" <[email protected]>

|
| Microsoft is starting to provide anti-spyware and anti-spamware.
|
| Yet I don't think it is, or has ever, provided any anti-virus
| software. Why not?

They did. They repackaged Central Point AV (CPAV) as MSAV in the Win3.x OS. That stopped
years ago. prior to Symantecs acuisition od Central Point Software.

MS has purchased Sybari and RAV. That is why MS now has the Malicious Software Removal Tool
(MRT.EXE, present version is v1.7) that runs an "On Demand" scanner that searches out for a
speciic list of Internet worms. It is NOT available for Win9x/ME but it is availble for
Win2K, WinXP and Win2003 Server.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...E0-E72D-4F54-9AB3-75B8EB148356&displaylang=en

Detailed information on its use including the targeted infector list is available at...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=890830
 
Virus Guy said:
Microsoft is starting to provide anti-spyware and anti-spamware.

Yet I don't think it is, or has ever, provided any anti-virus
software.
Click to expand...

Yes they did provide MSAV and MWAV from Checkpoint software - it quickly
became more useless with time.
Why not?
Click to expand...

Maybe it's a conspiracy between Bush and Gates to grab Iraqi oil. :)
 
Virus said:
Microsoft is starting to provide anti-spyware and anti-spamware.

Yet I don't think it is, or has ever, provided any anti-virus
software. Why not?
Click to expand...

I've read everyone's answers. But, I'd be surprised if the real reason
was they never believed they could control the market and therefore,
could not compete. If you look at what Microsoft does, they go after
markets with products they believe can dominate. Like the Windows
Operating System and Microsoft Office. That's how they achieve their
revenue and profit goals. Far too many players in the commercial
AV/Security Utilites market for Microsoft to risk doing something very
unstrategic.
 
Looks like you said...
My guess is that the answer is three-fold.

1. They can't monopolize and make millions from it, so why bother?

2. They'd probably screw it up like everything else, so why bother?

3. Why bother?

Pick any two of the above and you have all the answers you need.

Dave << who thinks the obvious answers are usually the right ones.
 
From: "optikl" <[email protected]>


|
| I've read everyone's answers. But, I'd be surprised if the real reason
| was they never believed they could control the market and therefore,
| could not compete. If you look at what Microsoft does, they go after
| markets with products they believe can dominate. Like the Windows
| Operating System and Microsoft Office. That's how they achieve their
| revenue and profit goals. Far too many players in the commercial
| AV/Security Utilites market for Microsoft to risk doing something very
| unstrategic.

Excellent POV optikl !
 
Would you say the gaming market has a lot of competition?

MS Games used to consist of Minesweeper and Solitaire (anyone remember
Gorilla.bas?)
They decided to stick to it.... and now they have the Xbox and Xbox live.

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: Virus Guy wrote:
: > Microsoft is starting to provide anti-spyware and anti-spamware.
: >
: > Yet I don't think it is, or has ever, provided any anti-virus
: > software. Why not?
:
: I've read everyone's answers. But, I'd be surprised if the real reason
: was they never believed they could control the market and therefore,
: could not compete. If you look at what Microsoft does, they go after
: markets with products they believe can dominate. Like the Windows
: Operating System and Microsoft Office. That's how they achieve their
: revenue and profit goals. Far too many players in the commercial
: AV/Security Utilites market for Microsoft to risk doing something very
: unstrategic.
 
:
: My guess is that the answer is three-fold.
:
: 1. They can't monopolize and make millions from it, so why bother?
:
: 2. They'd probably screw it up like everything else, so why bother?
:
: 3. Why bother?
:
: Pick any two of the above and you have all the answers you need.
:
: Dave << who thinks the obvious answers are usually the right ones.


True.
 
CheaperThanBT said:
(anyone remember Gorilla.bas?)
Click to expand...

Yes. I modified it to create bigger explosions which would gradually
demolish the buildings as the higher parts dropped to fill the gaps
below. If a gorilla was left standing in mid-air it would also drop
to the level of the rubble. A faster PC was needed to make the game
playable with this extra animation.
 
Still got it? :-)

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: "CheaperThanBT" wrote:
:
: > (anyone remember Gorilla.bas?)
:
: Yes. I modified it to create bigger explosions which would gradually
: demolish the buildings as the higher parts dropped to fill the gaps
: below. If a gorilla was left standing in mid-air it would also drop
: to the level of the rubble. A faster PC was needed to make the game
: playable with this extra animation.
:
:
 
Sweet, it gives you time to sort them out then. :-p

--




Earn £400 - £600 a month 10 - 15 hours a week Hit reply and beg for details
or call
+44 (0)1912471885

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: "CheaperThanBT" wrote:
:
: > Still got it? :-)
:
: It'll probably be somewhere in that mountain of floppy disks I have.
:
:
 
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