Microsoft has succeeded to end, through buying or negotiating, every antitrust lawsuit it faced so far... But there are still many lands to conquer and since Microsoft is the indisputable leader on the operating system market, why shouldn't it be the same with an antivirus solution or an anti-spyware product?

The security solution announced last week by Microsoft, under the name of Microsoft Client Protection, is aimed at companies, but the company is also preparing Windows OneCare Live, an antivirus and anti-spyware solution for end users.

This outcome has been expected ever since Microsoft announced the acquisition of several security companies. The corporation signed in June 2003 a contract for the intellectual property and technological resources of the Romanian company GeCAD SRL. GeCAD technologies are allegedly integrated in the security products and services.

At the beginning of the year, Microsoft announced the acquisition of Sybari Software, which offers antivirus and antispam solutions for servers and corporate computer networks.

Considering the Redmond giant's overwhelming market share, it's easy to predict that immediately after Microsoft offers a security solution, there will be plenty of antitrust lawsuits.

Microsoft has announced that Windows Vista will include security functions to block the access of viruses, worms and spyware elements. Still, the way these functions are implemented into the operating system and the way they interact with other applications could trigger a new wave of protests.

The company is planning to offer the OneCare solution as an annual add-on, distributed for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. Could this be true? Do you think that Microsoft won't take advantage of its excellent market position?