Microsoft MSN has reached a strategic cooperative instant messaging agreement with Kingsoft Duba to jointly provide free security products to the users of Windows Live Messenger.

The cooperation, according to local media reports, can be viewed as a start for Microsoft MSN's efforts in tackling the instant messaging security problems in China. According to China Internet Network Information Center's statistics, there are about 195 million instant messaging service users in China. In recent years, Microsoft MSN has been affected by trojan viruses and spam advertisement links, making MSN a tool for the spreading of viruses and malware.

Liu Zhenyu, vice president of Microsoft MSN, says in the future Microsoft MSN will deepen the cooperation with Kingsoft to upgrade the functions of its products.

The security products jointly launched by Microsoft MSN and Kingsoft Duba include MSN Protection Shield v1.0 and MSN Security Center, providing such functions as security scans when Messenger is started, scans of files accepted through MSN, and timely security information warnings.