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PC Makers Jump into Fight Against Viruses, Spyware PC hardware makers are finally joining software makers in the fight against computer viruses, spyware and other malicious programs. No. 1 PC-maker Dell (DELL) on Monday announced plans for an anti-virus and anti-spyware education program for its customers. That's a bit surprising, as Dell doesn't make security software or the programs that most viruses attack. But Dell says malicious software hurts its business. Most affected users don't know their computer is running a rogue program - they just know it's not working, says Dell Vice President Mike George. So they call Dell tech support. The calls were manageable a year ago, but now make up more than 20% of support calls, George says. Calls often jump 200% to 300% when a big virus strikes. "The switchboard gets overloaded," he says. "It's unfair to the rest of our customers." In response, Dell plans to educate customers on good security practices. It is working with vendors to lower the price of security software that comes preinstalled on its PCs. (The software, made by McAfee and Symantec, is free for 90 days, but then requires an annual subscription of $40 or more.) Other hardware makers too are trying to educate customers and beef up security features: o IBM (IBM) in April began selling a security service for $40 a month. Subscribers automatically receive software updates and the latest anti-virus software. The service is designed for small businesses. o Gateway (GTW) began selling anti-spyware and Internet tracking software made by Webroot in November. o Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) soon will install a pop-up blocker on new PCs to help keep harmful or unwanted Web pages out. Analysts say PC makers have no choice but to join the fight. "If security fails, so does the industry," says Techtel CEO Mike Kelly. Who Are We ? | About THISDAYOnLine.com | THISDAY People | Contact Us © Copyright 2000 Leaders & Company Limited

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