[link|http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2002/tc20021119_6311.htm|Is Microsoft Muscling In on the Market?]
"Witness the personal firewall and enhanced encryption capabilities in the desktop version of Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows XP, as well as the virtual private network (VPN) and encryption capabilities built into Windows servers.

The upshot? The lucrative security sector could soon see a new 800-pound gorilla. And even if Microsoft doesn't sell directly against security pure plays, it could heighten the competition by including more security functions in its software.
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Still, selling security products separately might be a natural move for Redmond as it earmarks more research money for making its own code more secure and building Palladium. And security products would augment Microsoft's ongoing transition from a company that makes a desktop operating system to one that gets an increasing percentage of its sales from software that runs corporate networks.

Piper Jaffray's Munster suspects that Redmond could break into any number of security markets, including antivirus software, firewalls, intrusion-detection systems, and automated vulnerability-assement tools. "This is a growth market they haven't really stepped into," says Munster. "An interesting conversation is, do they want to sell only servers, or do they also want to sell stand-alone products? I think they want to sell stand-alone products."