Microsoft is on the verge of making available for download the first taste of an upcoming free security solution designed to replace Windows Live OneCare. In November 2008, the Redmond company announced plans to discontinue the availability of Windows Live OneCare and to offer Windows users a consumer-centric security offering, code-named “Morro.” Over half a year later, the first public Beta of Morro is just around the corner, the software giant confirmed officially. However, Microsoft has so far failed to provide a specific deadline for the availability of the first Beta build of code-name Morro.

Still, early builds of Morro are already being dogfooded, the Redmond company revealed to Reuters. Dogfooding is a term describing Microsoft eating its own dog food, namely using its own software products internally. The fact that Morro is limited to Redmond is confirmed by the absence of leaks with the security solution's bits. At the same time, dogfooding is a natural step in the development process of Microsoft software, followed by Beta testing.

Morro will have the same core anti-malware engine as Forefront, and will be tailored to operating systems including Windows 7, Windows Vista RTM, Service Pack 1 and SP2 but also Windows XP SP3. Microsoft already indicated that Morro would offer core antimalware security, focusing on providing protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans. Code-name Morro is expected to be made available by the end of 2009.

In the meantime customers will still be able to buy Windows Live OneCare. While Microsoft will indeed discontinue the availability of OneCare via the retail channel, licenses for the security product will continue to be sold directly by the Redmond company. In this context, users will be able to continue running OneCare even after Morro ships, until their subscription expires. Windows Live OneCare will not be killed off until well after the final version of Morro will hit the download pipes.