Microsoft Security Essentials, Available in General Release Tomorrow

After a short time in beta, where people were making almost magical claims of its powers, the Microsoft Security Essentials will leave the beta moniker behind tonight at midnight, and be available for download.

Since it will be free to all who have legitimate copies of Windows operating systems, I wonder how many people will be eschewing other free antivirus solutions, in favor of Microsoft. I haven’t tried the MSE beta, as I couldn’t get in during the download availability, and did not trust third party downloads of the file. However, Microsoft, because of the way their download site worked, had my e-mail address, and has been sending me regular updates of “How are you liking the product?” I’m sure I’m not the only one.

I’ll be trying it, on an older machine with less horsepower, which sees less usage, so my ‘beta testing’ will be tomorrow through about Thanksgiving. I think by then we all will see how well the product really works, and how well the signatures allow ‘bug’ identifications.

Though free, I can’t help but wonder how Microsoft will be able to keep up with all the various threats that appear each week, along with all the other things the company presently does.

Also, the other free alternatives will change to provide a differential for their users, or will they? Companies used to having a free solution be ‘good enough’ because it is free will have to step up, and at least emphasize the changes that their products’ have, making them a better solution than the one from the operating system provider.

from Download Squad

After reporting that Microsoft Security Essentials will be final in the coming weeks only a week ago, we can now tell you that it will be available tomorrow, September 29.

Microsoft Security Essentials, independently certified by West Coast Labs, is backed by the company’s global security response team and is built on the same award-winning core security technology found in the company’s security solutions for businesses. It requires no registration, trials or renewals and will be available for Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7 including Windows XP mode on both x32 and x64 PCs.

Microsoft Security Essentials will be available in eight languages and 19 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

More information about Microsoft Security Essentials and the product download is available at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials.

So, with all of that hype, will you be trying it? Have you tried the beta?  What will make you change to another product, free or paid?

Life at many antivirus providers is bound to change tomorrow…

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