Microsoft added some buzz to the anti-virus software space with Tuesday’s acquisition of GeCAD Software for use in its flagship Windows platform.
Financial terms of the purchase, which included GeCAD’s intellectual property, were not released.
The Bucharest, Romania-based GeCAD makes software for anti-virus detection and data security. With GeCAD’s technology built into the Windows platform and other Microsoft-branded products, the software giant could emerge as a major competitor in the network security space now dominated by Computer Associates, Network Associates and Symantec.
“In addition to developing new solutions, Microsoft will use the GeCAD engineering expertise and technology to enhance the Windows platform and extend support for third-party anti-virus vendors so they can provide customers with increasingly secure and comprehensive levels of virus protection,” Microsoft said in a statement.
The company did not provide additional details of its anti-virus software plans.
The GeCAD acquisition comes amid Microsoft’s all-out Trustworthy Computing initiative it launched to counter embarrassing publicity over a string of security glitches in some of its key software. “The GeCAD acquisition is an extension of these [Trustworthy Computing] efforts,” Microsoft said.
Just last month, Microsoft teamed up with Network Associates and Trend Micro to launch a Virus Information Alliance (VIA) Web-based repository for information on viruses affecting Microsoft’s technology.
In April this year, Microsoft also launched a new Windows File System Filter Manager Architecture aimed at simplifying anti-virus software development.