Microsoft’s ‘Forefront’ Receives Competitors’ Criticisms

Forefront, the new business security product of Microsoft doesn't feature technology covering down to the scratch, rival companies have warned. Microsoft introduced Forefront Client Security and System Center Essentials 2007 in the first week of May this year. With this technology, businesses could manage security in laptops and PCs using one interface.

The problem is that the basic security technology in Forefront is considered to be same as the technology Microsoft has used in its much-criticized anti-malware Windows Live OneCare product. In the second program Microsoft has combined an anti-malware client with a central server that generates real-time updates.

A number of criticisms have come in from Symantec and Sophos regarding the design, while questioning the capability of the basic technology to satisfy business administrators sufficiently.

Some commentators have already criticized Microsoft's Forefront security tool. Comparing it with OneCare they recall the difficult release of OneCare, which showed up various critical problems during its independent testing. The product even failed to acquire the VB100 certification, a reputed quality test for AV systems. A Symantec spokesperson said this in news that Techworld published on May 7, 2007.

Meanwhile, Sophos' Graham Cluley expressed doubt in Microsoft's service ethics in providing security to its entrepreneurial customers. Cluley thinks it is something more than just making a comparison with OneCare and the code they share. anti-virus technology is not same as supporting a Word processor - if there is a virus problem in any customer's network, he requires immediate help, Cluley said. Techworld published this on May 7, 2007.

New products encounter initial problems and it takes some time to settle down as a routine development. Microsoft has put in immense efforts to improve initial detection. It has expanded its assessment teams by hiring high-profile specialists and improving its labs, said John Hawes, Technical Consultant at Virus Bulletin, as published by Virusbtn on May 4, 2007.

Hawes expects a number of new products for the coming June VB100 test and also lot of offerings from the more settled players. He believes, the next VB issue will reveal some interesting findings relating to product comparisons on Windows XP platform.

Related article: Microsoft Patches Live OneCare to Tackle Quarantined E-Mails

» SPAMfighter News - 5/15/2007