Microsoft launches free anti-virus for SMBs

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Microsoft India today extended its anti-virus solution, Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), for use of small and medium business at no additional cost, on any Microsoft Windows platform.

“Till date, MSE was being used by home users. For the first time, we have extended MSE for small and medium businesses up to 10 personal computers. SMBs will not have to pay additional cost if they are using genuine Microsoft Windows on their PC,” said Pankaj Ukey, Windows Client BG lead, Microsoft India in an interaction with CIOL.

Ukey mentioned that installing MSE on an additional PC by an SMB will be in violation of license condition on which this extension is being made.

Microsoft announced this launch in partnership with Hewlett Packard. HP’s Envy series notebooks will come with readily installed MSE on them. Users of any other PC or notebook with Windows installed on them will have to download the solution for Microsoft website.

“We have been involved with Microsoft since long. Our home users have been using MSE since last one year. Based on our experience and observation, we asked Microsoft to take this partnership further to SMBs. By offering MSE through Envy series we have taken care of security concerns that are with SMBs. Many people are not aware of security solutions and its use. With this offering we have given them a secure solution,” said Ketan Patel, country category head, Mobility Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP.

Patel mentioned that in a month's time, HP has run out of stock for its Envy series. “We sold over 3000 notebooks in a month's time and demand is huge,” he said.

Though Microsoft has limited free use of MSE up to 10 PCs, it could not clarify the way it will act against SMBs if they install MSE on additional PCs with genuine Windows or they buy additional Envy series notebook from HP.

Microsoft will also need to work upon security alerts in local and simple languages as most of SMBs are in tier two and tier three cities where communication in regional language is preferred.

HP also mentioned that there is huge demand for alerts in local and simple language for SMBs.

“We do not develop security solution ourselves but we do it through our partners. There is need to come up with security alerts in vernacular and simple language for SMBs. We have taken this up with our partners and hope to see some solution soon,” said Patel.

MSE currently supports 25 languages but all these languages are foreign languages.