ZDNet UK: Microsoft OneCare gets a bashing
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http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39198263,00.htm
Microsoft OneCare gets a bashing
Dan Ilett
IT professionals have slammed Microsoft over plans to charge for a security
service to protect its own products.
Microsoft on Friday announced an internal beta launch of Windows OneCare,
which will be a paid subscription service to block viruses and spyware that
affect Windows machines. But users are upset that the software giant wants to
make money from securing its own products they say it should have made secure
in the first place.
One IT security worker said he was appalled at the idea: "The fact that they
are charging is the height of hypocrisy. It is unbelievable that Microsoft is
attempting to launch a service to charge customers for protection from flaws
in its own products. I feel there should not be a need for that — they
should have software that's resilient to that."
ZDNet UK readers wrote they were also angry with Microsoft. "Am I just being
cynical or does this sound like a way to make money rather than fix the
product?" asked Nick Stevens in a Talkback comment to the article announcing
the prouct. "What I am surprised about, considering the high cost of the OS
in the first place, is how MS have the gall to charge for this service."
IT consultant John Perczyk added: "Great idea — MS get to turn their
security bugs into a revenue stream... Perhaps it should be more correctly
renamed 'No one cares'."
An emailed response attributed to Microsoft's director of platform strategy
Nick McGrath, said: "Windows OneCare will be a paid subscription service. As
it is still early in the product development cycle we have no further details
to share at this time. We will keep you posted as we get closer to final
availability. What has been announced is internal beta, which will be
distributed to Microsoft employees, and represents the first step in
Microsoft's plan to offer a comprehensive solution to help consumers protect
and maintain the overall 'health' of their PCs."
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