NEW YORK: Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday it has bought Winternals Software LP, a privately held, Austin, Texas-based company that makes computer system recovery products and offers and data protection services. Financial details of the deal were not revealed.
Microsoft said it is evaluating how Winternals’ products can be integrated into Microsoft’s technology. Winternals operates a software tools website called Sysinternals.
The deal, according to Microsoft, provides for Winternals co-founder Mark Russinovich to join Microsoft’s platforms and services group as a technical fellow. The other co-founder of the company, Bryce Cogswell, will be accommodated in Microsoft’s core operating systems division as a software architect.
Russinovich is credited with the discovery of a controversial rootkit, a copy protection software that is used in Sony BMG’s audio CDs. Sony had to finally withdraw the CDs using the rootkit and offer settlements to several affected users after hackers started using the rootkit to hide malicious code.
Russinovich admitted in a blog posting Tuesday he does not know how the Winternals and Sysinternals software and technologies would be integrated into Windows. “Microsoft is still evaluating the best way to leverage the many different technologies that have been developed by Winternals. Some will find their ways into existing Microsoft products or Windows itself and others will continue on as Microsoft-branded products,” he wrote.
He added that the Sysinternals website will remain for the time being.
Winternals employs around 85 people.
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