Microsoft Revs up Anti-Virus Assault

Microsoft added some buzz to the anti-virus software
space with Tuesday’s acquisition of GeCAD Software for use in its flagship
Windows platform.

Financial terms of the purchase, which included GeCAD’s intellectual
property, were not released.

The Bucharest, Romania-based GeCAD makes software for
anti-virus detection and data security. With GeCAD’s technology built into
the Windows platform and other Microsoft-branded products, the software
giant could emerge as a major competitor in the network security space now
dominated by Computer Associates , Network Associates and Symantec .

“In addition to developing new solutions, Microsoft will use the GeCAD
engineering expertise and technology to enhance the Windows platform and
extend support for third-party anti-virus vendors so they can provide
customers with increasingly secure and comprehensive levels of virus
protection,” Microsoft said in a statement.

The company did not provide additional details of its anti-virus software
plans.

The GeCAD acquisition comes amid Microsoft’s all-out Trustworthy
Computing initiative it launched to counter embarrassing publicity over a
string of security glitches in some of its key software. “The GeCAD
acquisition is an extension of
these [Trustworthy Computing] efforts,” Microsoft said.

Just last month, Microsoft teamed up with
Network Associates and Trend Micro to launch a Virus
Information Alliance (VIA) Web-based repository for information on viruses
affecting Microsoft’s technology.

In April this year, Microsoft also launched a new Windows File System
Filter Manager Architecture aimed at simplifying anti-virus software
development.