Article updated, please see latest updates below
Ever since Microsoft discontinued its "OneCare" Anti-Virus suite, gossip has been flying that Microsoft would be releasing a free Anti-Virus\Anti-Spyware tool codenamed "Morro".
The software product, codenamed "Morro" after a beach in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is already being tested by Microsoft employees and a trial version will be made available "soon". Microsoft has stated that Morro would be available by the end of 2009 at the latest.
"Morro" is likely to be targeted to compete with the low end of anti-virus products from other providers, and it will not have much of an impact on sales of full-blown security suites. According to Janice Chaffin, president of Symantec"s Consumer Division, "Microsoft"s free product is basically a stripped down version of the OneCare product Microsoft pulled from the shelves. A full Internet security suite is what consumers require today to stay fully protected."
Today we received three exclusive screen shots of the upcoming anti-virus suite from an anonymous tipster, we understand this is an internal build that is currently under testing so the UI is subject to change.
Update: Morro will now be renamed Microsoft Security Essentials.