Gartner slams Microsoft's security strategy
Microsoft has been slammed for trying to force customers to upgrade to its latest products by refusing to provide acceptable levels of security in its older offerings.
Analyst firm Gartner said that the software giant's recent round of security announcements represents a "missed opportunity" to clarify its strategy for the security market, and articulate its position for product security across desktops, servers and server gateways.
Neil MacDonald, group vice president and research director at Gartner, said: "The decision to restrict Internet Explorer 7.0 to the XP platform also suggests that Microsoft wants to force users of older platforms to upgrade if they want improved security.
"If Microsoft wishes to be seen as a responsible industry leader in maintaining security for its products and its customers, it should provide IE 7.0 for Windows 2000 users.
