Small Businesses to get Free Microsoft Security Essentials

In a u-turn for Microsoft, the company has now announced that it will licence it's free Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) anti-virus product for small businesses from October.

The move is a turn around from the launch of the product, which is based on the same scanning engine as the company's award-winning ForeFront Client Security, corporate anti-virus package, when it said the product was strictly for home and OEM use only.

In a blog post yesterday the company said "This new availability will allow small businesses to take advantage of Microsoft’s no-cost anti-malware service that will help them save time, save money and remain productive while protecting them from viruses, spyware and other malicious threats."

This move will be broadly welcomed by many small businesses for whom finances can be especially tight when it comes to ICT.  However it could be a canny move by Microsoft who are planning to launch a managed security environment package, based on Security Essentials, late this year or early next that is aimed, specifically, at small businesses!

Former US President Theodore Rosvelt once famously said "If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."  If Microsoft can encourage companies to install MSE then the upgrade to the managed version would be pain and worry free.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a successor to the company's ill-fated Live OneCare subscription anti-virus package.