Forefront Antimalware Discontinued

In Sept. 2012, Microsoft announced that many of the company’s Forefront line of antimalware products will be discontinued, while some Forefront-branded products will remain or get name changes. The move leaves customers to seek alternate solutions for protecting Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync servers.

Stirling Demise Foreshadowed Forefront Downfall

Microsoft’s Forefront line includes several products that protect against malware, including viruses, worms, Trojans, spam, adware, and spyware for Windows computers. Some products filter e-mail and documents for inappropriate or dangerous content, while others provide firewall or access features for corporate networks. The products are generally intended for enterprise use and integrate with other Microsoft software for management and, in some cases, online services. (For example, online protection for e-mail can be used to drastically reduce spam entering an organization’s network.) Network edge products can filter traffic to ensure that sensitive documents do not leave the company or users do not visit malicious Web sites or download malware. Most Forefront products are sold on a subscription basis, since malware signature updates are provided frequently, and several licensing suites are available.