Microsoft to kill off Windows Live OneCare next year

Posted by sudhirmangla November 19, 2008

In a very surprising move, Microsoft has announced today that Windows Live OneCare customers will be getting the shaft next year. The software giant has decided to replace OneCare with a free security solution (codenamed "Morro") to be released in the second half of next year. The yet-to-be-announced product will be a realtime anti-malware protection solution, whereas OneCare offered that plus backup and management features. Retail sales of the Windows Live OneCare subscription service will end on June 30, 2009.

If your subscription is about to run out, I’d suggest looking for an alternative instead of renewing a product that is on its way out the door. Sure, OneCare will continue to be available online until Morro is available and your subscription will still work until it ends, but Microsoft’s decision makes the company look unreliable.

When the new solution becomes available, OneCare users will have the option to move to it (it will be available everywhere OneCare currently is), but few will be happy enough with Microsoft to do so. Still, Morro will be free. I’ll reserve judgment until we have some more information, but for now it’s hard to argue with gratis. What are your thoughts on this out-of-the-blue development?

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Categories : Microsoft Tags : Microsoft