Microsoft to kill popular Linux antivirus product

IDG News Service ^ | JUNE 12, 2003 | Joris Evers and Paul Roberts

[AdmSmith]

Users and resellers of RAV AntiVirus, popular especially on Linux platforms, are in limbo after Microsoft Corp. announced plans to buy the RAV technology from Romania's GeCAD Software Srl.

The RAV product line will be discontinued after Microsoft completes the acquisition of the technology, Microsoft said. GeCAD, which claims that its products protect more than 10 million users worldwide, will support current customers through the end of their contracts.

The acquisition has observers questioning Microsoft's ultimate intentions and wondering what the software maker wants with technology that powers leading virus-scanning tools for e-mail servers on Linux platforms, rivals to Microsoft's Windows and Exchange products.

"I don't know why Microsoft bought a Linux company. GeCAD's Windows business is really small compared to their Linux business," said Andreas Marx, an antivirus software expert at the University of Magdeburg in Magdeburg, Germany. Marx has just completed a test of GeCAD's antivirus software for Linux and concluded that GeCAD "is really the best antivirus solution for Linux."

GeCAD's RAV AntiVirus for Mail Servers supports a host of e-mail server products, including the free Sendmail, Qmail and Postfix, and is available for a variety of operating systems, including many flavors of Linux and BSD. Pricing per e-mail domain instead of per mailbox is another major draw, experts and users said.

GeCAD resellers in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. interviewed by IDG News Service said the bulk of their RAV sales are of RAV Antivirus for e-mail servers on a Linux platform.

Marx sees the takeover as a big blow to Linux users especially. "There are alternatives; users can switch to other antivirus solutions, but it won't be very easy because RAV has many special features," he said. "There is room for a conspiracy theory here. It could be possible that Microsoft wants to stop the solution for Linux."

[AdmSmith]

If you can't beat them, buy them.

[goldstategop]

Microsoft should buy out Lindows to thwart version 4.0 from coming out to the market later this month.

[netmilsmom]

Ping!

[Sender]

I will crush this rebellion.
You don't know the power
of the Dark Side.

[Gopher Broke]

Gates and the Microsoft Monopoly are throwing their weight around again......

[sam_paine]

Gates and the Microsoft Monopoly are throwing their weight around again......

Fine! I say 'take the money and run!'

I remember a CTO at Dell that always repeated, "Michael didn't get rich by writing checks..."

If Microsoft tries to start playing "Whack-a-mole" with their checkbook, they'll only hemmorage faster.

[zeugma]

One thing that should be noted here that wasn't touched on in the article is that this is a product that scans email for windows viruses. Linux viruses are pretty much unheard of because if its superior security model. The RAV product is useful on unix systems because it scans and and strips all the windows/outlook viruses/worms/trojans at the mailserver so they never reach the user, so the user can't do stoooopid things like click on attachments that will self-propate through outlook.

[Incorrigible]

If you can't beat them, buy them.

Better than whinning to the Feds!

[longtermmemmory]

monopolies are good.

now linux will not be able to claim virus superiority.

Once microsoft becomes a utility, you will have to pay for monthly access. Poverty will next include poverty of information.

[FreePaul]

Apparently that type of suppression of competition is very common in the software field. Several companies with superior software have been bought by competitors and shut down. Doesn't do much to help users but it protects companies that can't compete. Hope that doesn't describe Microsoft.

[FierceDraka]

If this isn't an anti-competitive practice, I don't know what is! I retract my earlier statements supporting Microsoft - it IS a monopoly and needs to be broken up ASAP. Burn in hell, Bill Gates.