Can Microsoft reshape the anti-virus market?

eWeek | at | by Mike

Microsoft's massive presence in the anti-virus space may be bad news for vendors leading the market, but for enterprise customers with tight budgets, it presents wonderful bargaining opportunities.

With all-out price war looming, an influential IT research firm suggests that enterprises use Microsoft's anti-virus push to negotiate better pricingand bundled servicesfrom existing vendors.

On the heels of the Windows OneCare rollout for consumers, a subscription-based package that bundles virus, spyware and firewall protection alongside data backup and PC configuration features, Gartner Inc. is predicting an enterprise-grade service will ship in 2006 for sale well below current market prices.