Microsoft Acquires Anti-Spyware Leader GIANT Company

It will be interesting to see how they position this product in their stable.

The simple strategy, with respect to norms already out there, would be to offer a bare bones free version and a feature rich pay version that could conceivably be identical to the current Giant product. I'd expected that integration would be at an informational level as an added category in the security center initially. Whether it gets tighter down the road would be anyone's guess.

I guess I view this development as akin to the Windows ICF. That feature provides very basic functionality for the masses. No more, no less. Some of the additional functionality in the software firewalls that most of us here use would simply create a support nightmare if launched marketwide to the entire Windows customer base.

Although Microsoft has apparently dropped the ball for the present with RAV, they do have some good productivity/OS add-on type apps at the same rough pricepoint as Giant. Money, Encarta, Streets&Trips, and so on come to mind. So they do have a track record of handling some of these things well.

However it turns out, I will be watching with interest since I did outfit all of my home machines with Giant not too long ago, so I have about 11 months of support in some form coming.

Blue

 

Then i truly would feel helpless.................no joke

 

Not really..........................not at the end of the day................for many reasons......

 

What's next, MS buy out SYMANTEC?

MS wants WINDOWS to be all-in-one and we all know how crappy all-in-one products are.

This is not good at all...

 

Honestly, I think the product is as good as dead. I have never seen a decent product improved by Microsoft. But Giant is not an important part of my security. The heart of my protection is PG 3.0, KAV 4.5, TDS-3, and NOD along with Ad-aware and Spybot. These guys really do prevent/catch nasties. I have a year with Giant so I will keep it on my system. But seeing as I work so hard to get MS and Symantec products off my machine, I don't really see myself renewing my subscription. With MS products I know that I am only increasing the number of security holes in my system. MS loves to look into my system to see what I am doing.

Rich

 

Making it more secure...yes.....AND cornering the market also!!

 

One thing's a certainty and that is the need for anti-spyware will be brought home to the masses and I can't see this being a negative thing. We all have probably had even more problems with spyware than with viruses and firewalls and AV software just can't protect us but do the majority of users wordwide realise that? I don't think so and if anything they are going to realise that spyware is something they will need protection against and if a basic AS is included then that's going to help millions of people.

I think that initially the 1st year's updates will be free as an introduction/promotion but after that will revert to a paid version with regular updates, support and maybe other bonus programs.

Dave

 

I am not sure how much this will raise awareness. I agree that it may somewhat. However, there is also the issue of product quality since ultimately it doesn't matter if someone is aware, if they do not have a way to keep the nasties out. But if the additional awareness helps other companies then it would be a positive. If it just generates interest in a product that is no good, then the "bad apple" may drive out the good ones. I can honestly say that I do not remember the last time MS created a product that I felt comfortable putting on my system. But we shall see. I just hope that DiamondCS, KAV and Eset remain around as long as I use Windows.

Rich

 

Yes, it is sad that MS needs to do this, but they were basically forced into it by too many folk’s stupidity and/or laziness. To folks like us who hang out at Wilders, for MS to do something like this might be silly, but let’s be realistic here: folks who care about spyware and who actually do something about it are in the minority. Just as MS had to include a turned-on-by-default Firewall and a popup stopper because too many people just didn’t care, they have now been forced into this. If you look at the tech support departments of all the PC manufacturers, a very large percentage of their support calls are now spyware/adware related, and I’m sure MS must be seeing the same thing. It is in MS’s interest to take a step like this. The ignorant masses need to be protected and if the only way to do it is by including a product like this in a future Windows version, then so be it; it sure beats the alternative.

And speaking of ignorance, where I work a fellow was being bugged by spyware/adware on his pc so I had him download AdAware and clean up his pc. One of our computer Lan people had him uninstall AdAware because he “didn’t want any adware on any of our pcs”. Now that fellow could definitely use something like Giant in the next Windows.

Acadia

 

Same here......Large educational institution.........Can't send an email with the word $hit in it......but can send links/attachments/zip files etc!......But no naughty words!!!!

 

I also own Giant antispyware and when the year is up so is my support for it.
People would be surprised at how much Microsoft actually knows about their computers and what's on them and there is not much you can do to protect yourself unless you don't use their software.

 

Well I don't think this is over by a long shot as now Sunbelt has entered into the pictures regards Giant codes. Should get interesting. But the question is now what happens to the people who brought Giant ? Where will they go for updates etc.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/12/16/HNmsspyware_1.html

Grand Dad

 

I guess the question is whether Sunbelt indeed had co-ownership of the baseline code, or whether they simply had the rights to distribute the code as it existed up to a given point in time. If Sunbelt had co-ownership, then I think MS will need to go to the table again.

Rich

 

M$ will teach the masses about the dangers of spyware!?! This is like expecting a skunk to give lectures on the benefits of using a deodorant.

 

Yes, I sincerely believe that MS will try to teach, it is in their interest, even if they don’t stop doing it themselves. Haven’t you ever seen commercials about the dangers of smoking sponsored by tobacco companies? Of course it doesn't make any sense, this is the game we call life!

Acadia

 

I wonder if the MS version will detect Alexa..?

 

MS's reply:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/dec04/1217statement.asp

Acadia

 

OK Buck........hmmmm........Santa that is..

 

Well, tis season you know

 

Reading this http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1743722,00.asp has made me wonder.... Is Counterspy any good?

 

According to that latest link,Sunbelt will offer CounterSpy free as a competitive move to counter the MS beta.
That is interesting.

 

ROFL, oh this is going to be interesting

Microsoft may plan to put distance between them, but I have a feeling that the engine will stay the same, at least for a while.