Microsoft responses to Microsoft’s shutdown at Googleplex

Despite no official acknowledgement from Google that it’s ditching Microsoft’s Windows operating system, Microsoft felt compelled to respond Tuesday.

A report surfaced late Monday night that Google has started easing Windows PCs out of its internal network based on security concerns, related in part to the attacks on its infrastructure late last year. Google has so far declined to confirm that report, but Microsoft released a blog post Tuesday afternoon defending Windows security and pointing out that security concerns helped derail a Gmail deployment at Yale University.

“When it comes to security, even hackers admit we’re doing a better job making our products more secure than anyone else. And it’s not just the hackers; third party influentials [sic] and industry leaders like Cisco tell us regularly that our focus and investment continues to surpass others,” Microsoft said in its blog post.

For some reason Microsoft declines to use Google’s name directly in the post, preferring instead to discuss “whether or not one particular company is reducing its use of Windows.” The two industry titans are far from best friends, battling each other on any number of fronts from operating system and office productivity software to search and mobile devices.

Microsoft also made sure to take a shot at old rival Apple, highlighting reports Tuesday that spyware targeting Mac OS X machines is being downloaded along with some free applications.

“Microsoft makes the security of our customers a huge priority,” it said, going on to list a number of security features in Windows 7.