http://www.techweb.com/wire/security/193401698
Microsoft on Monday shifted Windows Defender from beta to final,
and added limited free phone support to the no-cost anti-spyware
software.
Defender -- which launched as Windows AntiSpyware almost two years
ago after Microsoft acquired New York-based GIANT Company Software
in 2004 -- had been most recently pegged as Beta 2. According to
Microsoft, changes in the final include additional scanning
performance improvements, support for the 64-bit edition of Windows
XP, and automated spyware cleaning during scheduled scans.
Microsoft also announced free phone support for Defender, but
limited the support to two calls per user.
At the same time, the Redmond, Wash. developer dropped support for
Windows 2000, citing the aging operating system's business audience
and Defender's target of consumers. "We decided to focus more on
Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Both of these operating systems
with the latest service packs have significantly better security
protection overall, which will also help to prevent spyware on
those computers that run those operating systems," Microsoft said
in an online FAQ.
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