According to Intel, “Together, Windows Vista and PCs with Intel vPro Technology can give IT administrators a more stable platform that is inherently resistant to tampering and malicious attacks.”

Intel crows that the new Wintel systems will feature:

  • full disk encryption;
  • agent-presence checking;
  • bi-directional firewall;
  • hardened Windows servicing;
  • persistent memory for critical system information;
  • hardware-based filters for inbound and outbound network traffic, and;
  • built-in protection against some malware that triggers buffer overflows.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has whipped out a flotilla of products and services designed to deal with malware like spyware and viruses.

Microsoft’s freebie solutions include:

  • Windows Defender, which finds and protects against spyware.
  • Windows Live Safety Center which finds both spyware and viruses on demand.
  • Malicious Software Removal Tool, which finds big-name viruses on demand.

Beyond that, Microsoft offers Windows Live OneCare for consumers and Microsoft Client Protection for business. Both products scan, remove and protect against all of the above: spyware, viruses, and other unwelcomeware.

Both Intel and Microsoft priced their offerings extremely competitively. (As an aside, Intel has taken the additional step of slashing their pre-vPro high-end desktop chip line 50% in an attempt to clear the decks and sieze industry mindshare back from AMD. But that’s another story…)

With Microsoft pinching the service side of the anti-virus business, and teaming with Intel to protect and harden the operating system, where does that leave Computer Associates, F-Secure, McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, ZoneLabs and other anti-virus and software firewall vendors?

In a world of hurt. Symantec, for one, is trying to paint a happy face on its diminishing elbow room: “By isolating the computer’s protection in a virtual environment outside the main operating system, enterprises will have confidence that the security itself has not been compromised, that it is always on, and that they can trust the result that it gives,” said Jeremy Burton, Symantec’s senior VP of enterprise security and data management. “We believe this new approach will improve security and reduce the overall cost of administration.”

Burton’s right, of course. But the new Wintel system will be able to accomplish a good share of its malware-mitigation objectives without his outfit’s help.

And every step Wintel takes toward making users feel more secure results in fewer prospects for any third party anti-virus or firewall solutions.