OneCare Reloaded

Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft's all-in-one security and performance solution for desktops is evolving. OneCare hit the market at the beginning of 2007, concomitantly with the general availability of Windows Vista. However, Microsoft's anti-virus delivered only a modest performance in terms of security and received more than its fair share of bad reviews and publicity.

Since its launch on January 30, 2007 and the international release in mid March, OneCare has managed to fail Virus Bulletin's VB100 test for Windows Vista, and also to come last in an anti-virus rating put together by AV Comparatives. All that will change, promises Microsoft, and releases Windows Live OneCare Reloaded, or at least, re-certified.

"On a more important note, our detection numbers are continuing upwards. I know this is a subject of ongoing interest for many, and we continue to push the team hard in this area because in the end it will be the most visible measure of our success. We just once again had the OneCare product ICSA and West Coast Labs certified AND Forefront is now WestCoast Labs certified and is in the process of being ICSA certified as well. We feel very confident that we'll achieve the VB100 Award, for both products as well when the results are published in June, by Virus Bulletin. This to me will exemplify the work we've been focusing on and continue to do so," stated Vincent Vinny Gullotto, General Manager, Microsoft Malware Protection Center and a former Symantec man.

But not only has OneCare been recertified by West Coast Labs and the ICSA, "top independent certification authorities in the security industry" according to Microsoft, but the company has focused on a set of key aspects together with a collection of imperative benchmarks designed to increase the anti-virus' credibility. In fact, it remains to be seen if the sequel will live up to the low standards imposed by its predecessor.

"We've applied the basic principles our partners, that come before us have to provide world class response to customer queries (including automated responses and queue processing to customer submissions and of course analysts globally to respond regionally) and we have the added element that is unique to MS, which is the insight into the more than 400 million Windows users worldwide. These customers have consistently asked us to provide support to the ever growing threat of viruses, worms, Trojans and unwanted programs that plague their environments today," Gullotto added.