Microsoft to Phase Out Windows Live OneCare, Will Offer Free Anti-Malware Protection

Microsoft will be eliminating their Windows Live OneCare products, an anti-malware product line, in favor of a no-cost solution for their customers. The new product, code-named "Morro," is currently scheduled to release during the last half of 2009.  "Morro" will offer protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits, and Trojans.

From Microsoft's press release:

As part of its commitment to provide users with a trustworthy computing experience, Microsoft has announced plans to offer a new, core security solution for consumers. Available at no additional cost, this new solution will focus on delivering easy-to-use protection from threats that can place personal information at risk and harm system performance.

This new anti-malware offering, scheduled to be released in the second half of 2009, will provide protection from a variety of threats - including viruses, spyware, rootkits and Trojans - and is specifically designed to address the demands of smaller PC form factors and the rapid increases in the incidence of global malware. This solution will be suitable for customers in emerging markets where infection rates tend to be higher,and where demand for entry-level PCs makes it even more important that protection be available that does not sacrifice system performance.

As part of the effort to protect the broadest possible range of consumers, Microsoft has also announced it will phase out sales of its Windows Live OneCare subscription offering in order to focus on removing hardware and cost barriers that can limit access to core malware protection.

This new direction for protecting Window's customers will be a welcome change. Another excellent aspect of "Morro," is that it currently promises to be less of a system resource hog than the current Windows Live OneCare, which uses up a lot of valuable resources. This will be an especially welcome feature for users with lower end PCs.