Microsoft

Why MSE?

Why did Microsoft develop Microsoft Security Essentials? At its most basic, MSE is a replacement for Windows Live OneCare, but why replace an existing program with one with fewer features?

One can understand why Microsoft discontinued Live OneCare; it simply wasn’t making any headway against its more established competitors. But Microsoft felt that there was an increasing need for an easy-to-use, small footprint, low-cost (or free) program to protect Windows users from malware threats.

The pricing issue speaks for itself, so let’s address the easy-to-use and small footprint issues. Competing anti-malware programs had grown bloated over the years (much as Live OneCare had), adding firewalls, content filtering, network management, ...