Google's Latest Purchase Could Mean More Cool Free Software

Google reportedly just bought GreenBorder, maker of Windows security software GreenBorder Pro.

GreenBorder Pro is designed to protect against malware invasions and Internet attacks; the software is no longer available for download as the company transitions, and as every employee presumably bounces off walls and jumps for joy. The company's site says it is still supporting existing customers.

I wrote about GreenBorder Pro last year, along with other software that takes a similar approach to security. Instead of attempting to identify and block particular attacks or pieces of malware like traditional antivirus apps, GreenBorder Pro changes the operating environment with virtualization and modified user permissions such that attacks can't worm their way into your system or access your documents.

It runs Firefox and Internet Explorer in this kind of protected environment, and can do the same for downloaded and e-mailed documents.

I think this secure-the-environment idea is a smart approach, and evidently Google agrees. Many other similarly themed security products have popped up over the past year (we're working on an upcoming review of one of them, WindowZones).

My only beef with GreenBorder was that it charged a recurring yearly fee of $30 a year, like antivirus software, instead of a one-time, up-front price like most programs. But the company didn't have the excuse of using the recurring fee to run research labs and supply signatures. The yearly fee just covered software updates.

So the big question now is, will GreenBorder become another free Google download? Google isn't yet talking, but my own guess, based on pure personal speculation, is that Google will roll it into the Google Pack alongside the current Norton Security Scan and Spyware Doctor Starter Edition options.

In which case I'd expect you could also download a re-branded version on its own, like you can with Picasa. I don't think GreenBorder will become part of Google Apps, since Apps is a collection of hosted services that doesn't require a software download. But hey, I could be wrong.

Or Google could even roll it into Google Desktop. However the company handles it, if it offers GreenBorder free to consumers, I'll cheer the move. Though not nearly as enthusiastically as the GreenBorder employees are no doubt cheering right now.

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