Microsoft ship new software_文教Education
seattle (reuters) - as microsoft corp. prepares to ship new software to protect its windows operating system, a top target for malicious programers and hackers, the world's largest software maker also faces another threat -- the scrutiny of antitrust regulators fearing the monopolist could choke off competition.
if redmond, washington-based microsoft ties its new anti-virus software, expected out later this year, too closely to windows or prices it steeply below anti-virus software offered by vendors such as mcafee inc. (nyse:mfe - news) and symantec corp. (nasdaq:symc - news), antitrust regulators could turn their attention toward the company again.
"aggressive entry into the established anti-virus market, especially to the extent microsoft bundles its solution into the operating system, is almost certain to draw regulatory scrutiny, especially in the eu (european union (news - web sites))," sanford c. bernstein & co. analyst charles di bona said in a recent note to clients.
microsoft is facing pressure to deliver better ways to protect its software products, three years and three acquisitions after promising to boost the security of its software in a companywide memo by chairman bill gates (news - web sites).
at the rsa computer security conference in san francisco this week, gates announced that microsoft's anti-spyware software, which protects computers against programs that snoop on a user's activities and record keystrokes, will be offered for free download after the current trial period ends.
"it's a challenging area, and new threats seem to emerge all the time," gates said in his speech, "but i'm optimistic that ... we will be able to mitigate the security problems."