Microsoft will continue to struggle in the antivirus space because of market perception and some vulnerabilities with its products according to Kaspersky Labs founder, Eugene Kaspersky.
Speaking at a media event in Sydney this week, Kaspersky said that while he admired Microsoft's business model of getting a PC into every home, he did not see the vendor as a threat in the security space.
"When Microsoft entered the antivirus field for the first time in 1994 I didn’t recognise that because I was very busy working on my home made product, and when they entered the antivirus field for the second time in 2003, they acquired a Romanian antivirus company GeCAD so I was happy," he said.
“I said, `Let Microsoft buy all the antivirus companies except us'. Let them eat all the others and destroy them.”
According to Kaspersky, Microsoft's Security Essentials worked well at preventing threats "in some cases".
"It is not enough to be visible in the market, you need to have the right positioning and impression — and you need to have a brand which is recognised as a security brand."
He claimed that if Microsoft released an antivirus product that was not emblazoned with its logo, it might have a better chance in the market.
"But, the good news for me is that Microsoft will never agree to release a product which is not branded," said Kaspersky.
"Microsoft will stay strong in computers because of Windows, Office and many other projects but not because of security. "
Microsoft Australia had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publishing.
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