Microsoft confirms free security software ships Tuesday

28.09.2009
Microsoft today confirmed that it will launch its free security software suite, which has been in development for almost a year, Tuesday morning.

"Microsoft Security Essentials, their highly anticipated no-cost consumer security offering, will be released to the public tomorrow, September 29," a company spokeswoman said in an e-mail reply to questions.

The spokeswoman added that the program will be made available Tuesday morning, Pacific time, although she did not have a specific hour for the launch.

Earlier in the day, Network World 's John Fontana had been told by Bob Muglia, the president of Microsoft's sever and tools division, that the company would ship the free software Tuesday.

Security Essentials, which Microsoft offered to a last June, is the for Windows Live OneCare, a for-a-fee security suite that was retired at the end of June 2009. Microsoft has pitched the software as a basic anti-virus, anti-spyware program that consumes less memory and disk space than commercial security suites, like those from vendors such as McAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro.

Those companies, however, unanimously dismissed Security Essentials -- once codenamed "Morro" -- as proof that Microsoft in the paying market.