MSE is now free for Small Businesses

MSE was previously free for just the home user and home business computer, but this coming October it will now be licensed for free use in small businesses up to 10 computers.
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/Features/2010/sep10/09-22SecurityEssentials.mspx

This sets it apart from most other free AV products (insert the names of the common ones)...which are not licenses for free use in a business, only home.

 

That's great news, actually. It hopefully lights a fire under the other free offerings. Small businesses often can't afford the sometimes astronomical prices charged for bulk licenses, and they need good protection against threats more than home users do, IMHO. I applaud MS for a smart move.

 

thats pretty kool of them to offer that.

 

+1

 

It may light a small "fire", but I'm inclined to think it's more like turning an existing policing impossibility (I.E. small businesses already using MSE "illegally") into good PR for MS.

 

awesome, thanks for the head-up

 

This.

 

You guys seriously think small businesses actually pay attention to those rules? Some people without a small business have 10 computers at home. What makes them think they can differentiate between a 10 computer home use and a small business use based on IP addresses.

 

Many do.
First, while on the broad scope of "small business"...that's commonly legally (by state regs) referred to as a business maxing at somewhere between 100 - 300 staff. It's more commonly used to refer to businesses maxing at 100 employees. Now that last size there..usually not large enough to have their own in house IT staff, so they utilize SMB consultants...which will often be someone that resells a particular managed product, like Eset business edition.

What Microsoft has done here, is a good move, is to open up options for the small end of small business, 10 PCs and under will more often be just a simple little peer to peer network. A very simple little peer to peer network that any kid can setup, nothing fancy, no need for frequent calls to an SMB consultant. So things often go overlooked...like whoever set it up got a bunch of computers with a 30 or 90 day trial of whatever AV product got preinstalled on it and expired 2 years ago. Or you'll often see other free AVs used against licensing.

And a lot of small businesses do pay attention to the rules, I've seen busineses go through software audits, and get some hefty fines. Many non-profits have to be especially careful about software audits and complying by the rules.

And to answer your question, Microsoft could easily differentiate between a home and a business network if they cared, as most businesses will be on a static business class account from their ISP.

This move by Microsoft isn't about policing though, it's just a good PR move to help out the little small businesses legitimately get a good and needed product without hurting the bank in a tough economy.

 

Thats my point. What small business with 10 employees has their own business connection? None that I know of. Most that small dont even have an "IT Department" its just a family owned business.

This move by MS doesnt change anything thats not already being done. These businesses are already using a free product illegally without hurting their bank.

 

It certainly changes things for small business IT consultants. Now LEGALLY we can recommend a free solution, with support, to companies.... While it may be true that many already use free home products at the business (against the license agreement), that is not something I could recommend being a CPA business and IT consultant.

 

Do you seriously call a small business with let's say 6 computers a company ?
Neither technically nor for sales there is any difference between a house (consumer) with 6 computers and a very small business with 6 computers (example) ?
Small businesses run their computer for both commercial and non-commercial use and they can install the AV for the non-commercial part , too. Practically nothing , really nothing changes NOW.

I kind of agree with whitedragon551

 

I concur.