Microsoft to pre-install trial versions of its security software on PCs

Today Microsoft announced that it has entered into agreements to pre-install trial versions of its Windows Live OneCare anti-virus program onto select PCs from about 11 manufacturers. Fortunately for IT pros, only one of the manufacturers involved is a big name for the U.S. market -- Sony. Toshiba is another big name in the program, but it is the company's Asia Pacific unit that is involved in this trial-version deal. While the agreement with PC OEMs is clearly aimed at the consumer market, enterprise security professionals will likely be none-too-pleased that their end users could be urged to deploy security software that is not under the umbrella of the corporate security standard (in EULA or support). It is an age-old marketing ploy from a days-gone-by era of software sales.

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