Back in November Microsoft announced that they will offer free anti virus software, codenamed “Morro”, to replace Windows Live OneCare. As you know Windows Live OneCare will be discontinued. Subscriptions will stop being sold via retail channels from 30 June 2009, though direct sales via Microsoft will stop only when “Morro” is available. Well, it looks like “Morro” is here since Microsoft has been removing OneCare from the channel for the past couple of months.

Reuters got the scoop:

A Microsoft spokesman said on Wednesday that the world's biggest software maker is testing an early version of the product with its own employees. Microsoft would "soon" make a trial version, or product beta, available via its website, he added, but declined to provide a specific date.

Morro will only include basic features for fighting viruses, which would likely make it comparable to the least-expensive products sold by Symantec and McAfee. So far officials with Symantec and McAfee have said they do not see Morro as a threat. Let’s see about that eh?

Now we don’t know how soon soon is, though some bloggers apparently got more information. However they are under NDA so they won’t tell…it might even be in the next few days. Guess we’ll just have to keep our eyes open…