The following statement was issued today by McAfee (NYSE: MFE) in response to pledges made last week by Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith and Chief Executive Steve Ballmer suggesting Microsoft would begin to cooperate with independent security vendors to protect Vista customers.

This statement can be attributed to Christopher Thomas, a partner at Lovells which is presently serving as McAfee's outside litigation counsel in Brussels.

?Despite pledges, press conference and speeches by Microsoft, the community of independent security companies that consumers rely on for computer protection has seen little indication that Microsoft intends to live up to the promises it made last week?, said Thomas. ?We have been greatly disappointed by the lack of action by the company so far and Microsoft has not lived up, either in detail or in spirit, to the hollow assurances offered by their top management last week.?