Microsoft is preparing to release a free anti-virus program in an effort to undercut the dominant low-cost companies Symantec and McAfee.
A spokesman for the company said last week that it is testing an early version of the product with its own employees and that a trial version for the public will be available on Microsoft’s website “soon”, but no specific date has been made.
The announcement is an attempt to rival products from Symantec and McAfee, with both companies generating billions from anti-virus products protecting computers running on Windows.
Microsoft has said that the software will offer fairly basic features for anti-virus protection, and will effectively replace the Live OneCare virus protection service that has been deemed a commercial failure by analysts.
Both Symantec and McAfee have said they do not see the upcoming software as a threat to its business.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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