After having launched its AntiSpyware beta, Microsoft is now entering the realm of Antivirus support with the consumer beta of its OneCareLive program. The official announcement of the consumer beta is available at the Windows OneCare Team Blog. As of this writing, however, the beta download page, http://ideas.live.com/, seems to be down.
Just as Microsoft AntiSpyware is based off of the Giant Antispyware program that Microsoft purchased a while back, it seems as if OneCare is based off of the computer security program created by a Romanian company that was purchased by Microsoft not too long ago. However, that this company is a relative unknown raises some questions as to how robust or effective a virus protection solution it provides, even in its OneCare incarnation.
It's interesting that Microsoft would enter into such a venture. Given past history with Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, if OneCare were to be available free or as part of the default installation of a future Windows operating system, there could very well be cries of foul play and monopoly. That isn't my greatest concern, however. In my opinion, Microsoft should not be in the business of writing software to remove spyware or protect against malware (viruses, worms, Trojan horses). Rather, it should make sure that its operating system is robust enough to not be affected by said spyware and malware without having to use a separate piece of software on top of the OS.
That's, however, just my two cents.
I have yet to test out the beta, so if any of you have, feel free to note your comments on usability and effectiveness below!