Hello, my name is Jeff Williams.  While I'm new to the team, I'm not new to our efforts in this space as I've worked with the team for almost two years in my previous role.  I've just returned from a trip to Washington DC last week to attend the ASC Workshop as Microsoft's representative.  Not only did I get to meet with industry and community colleagues but I also was able to participate in the Congressional Internet Caucus Tech Fair.  At the Tech Fair, we had the opportunity to demonstrate Windows Defender's integration into Windows Vista to members of Congress and their senior staff, as well as representatives from the media, industry and non-profit organizations.  The booth was packed almost continuously and the demos were well received.  Also at the show were some other ASC members- Earthlink (Aluria), Dell, PC Tools and Symantec so we were in good company and the ASC was well represented. 

The ASC Workshop on Thursday was a full house with a number of great sessions.  It was encouraging to see so much support for the ASC and attendance exceeded expectations.  The session was opened by Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras of the FTC who spoke about the importance of education, partnership and new technology in combating spyware- points with which I completely agree.  Other sessions focused on the impact of spyware on business and individuals, potential solutions to spyware, cross border challenges to fighting spyware, and industry self-regulation. The workshop was also a great place to meet with others who are fighting these same threats and I'm looking forward to the next ASC Workshop in Ottawa in May.

Warm Regards,
Jeff