"Morro," OneCare and Forefront

There's currently a good deal of buzz about yesterday's announcement of Microsoft's plans for a no-cost security offering.  Code-named "Morro," the new solution will address the growing need for a PC security solution tailored to the demands of emerging markets.  Related to this, the company will discontinue retail sales of its Windows Live OneCare subscription service effective June 30, 2009.

So, people may ask how does "Morro" compare to Forefront Client Security?  Will enterprise customers use it?  The answer is no, "Morro" is intended for consumers, whereas Forefront products are enterprise solutions, providing the capabilities and features required in sophisticated IT environments, e.g. centralized deployment, management and reporting, security state assessments, scheduled signature distribution, update management, etc.

It is worth noting that "Morro" will have a positive impact on Forefront, because it will allow Microsoft to capture even more threat intelligence from customers as more people use the free anti-malware solution.  We'll be able to use that information in our security research and the development of signatures and protection capabilities in Forefront.

Forefront products are being deployed by increasing numbers of enterprises, with thousands of Microsoft security partners certified to sell and deploy Forefront solutions. And, of course, there's a great road ahead with Forefront codename "Stirling."