Microsoft this week ran a media workshop at which it announced that Microsoft Security Essentials, its anti-virus software, was now freely available to small enterprises with no more than 10 computers in Africa. The workshop, held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre, was meant to encourage journalists to take an active role in writing about information technology.
The global software giant announced that it had made changes to its licensing agreement to ensure that Microsoft Security Essentials is available freely. The software provides instant protection against viruses, spyware and other malicious software.
It runs quietly in the background, preventing interruptions and long computer wait times, Microsoft said, adding that it was constantly updated so that computers are always protected by latest technology.
A year after its launch, the security software had already removed nearly 366 million viruses, spyware and other malicious threats from 30 million people’s Personal Computers (PCs), according to analysis done.
John Moir, Business Development Manager at Microsoft Botswana, said that the security software is powered by the same core malware protection engine that drives Microsoft’s enterprise solutions.
“By making Microsoft Security Essentials available to small businesses with fewer than 10 PCs, we are extending our commitment to help these companies save money and grow their business with free online protection,” Moir affirmed.
Botswana’s government, owing to what Moir called transparency and openness, is becoming one of Africa’s leading clients for Microsoft. Moir said Botswana is Microsoft’s top customer in the East and Southern Africa region.
According to Moir, Microsoft has been operating in Botswana since the late 1980s through local partners. It empowers its partners by greatly increasing their earning potential in the area of software.
“For every pula Microsoft makes, our partners make seven pula,” said Moir.
Meanwhile, software piracy had become prominent, with music piracy reaching 99 percent and the overall global rate of software piracy reaching 43 percent in 2009.
The increase was driven mainly by expanding PC sales in fast-growing, high piracy countries and increasing sales to consumers in two-segment markets that traditionally have higher incidents of software theft.
The Business Software Alliance’s 7th annual global software piracy study published earlier this year estimates that 82 percent of software in East, West and Central Africa is pirated, creating a negative impact on the region as a whole. Unlicensed software restricts local technology innovation, hinders job creation and economic growth while piracy robs government of essential tax revenues, according to the study.
In Botswana, it is estimated that piracy had reached 79 percent in 2009, a figure that Moir described as uncomfortable. However, he said owing to awareness and prosecution, it is expected to have dropped back to 50 percent in 2010, with prospects for a lower drop this year.
During the media workshop, Microsoft’s Kenya-based Public relations and Events Manager, Lavinniah Muthoni, said it was essential for journalists to join social networks such as Twitter, Skype and Facebook, saying they are essential for journalists to enhance their interaction on information technology issues.
