Finally, after months of rumors, it's official: Microsoft is planning to bundle the core of its Windows Antispyware product into Windows Vista.

We know, we know: Bundling is a banned word in Redmond. When a previously standalone Microsoft product or technology is subsumed by another, the result is supposed to be labeled "innovative integration," according to the Microspeak police.

It's not hard to understand Microsoft's loathing of the 'B' word. The company has gotten its hand slapped more than once for bundling. You don't have to look further than the U.S. Department of Justice and EU vs. Microsoft cases for examples.

But those lessons seem to have been forgotten. Based on recent signs, it looks like Microsoft is gearing up to bundle not just Windows Antispyware, but possibly also some other new wares, into Vista, the version of Windows due in 2006.

For the record, I am not 100-percent anti-bundling. I've talked to lots of users about Microsoft's bundling behavior. And as long as bundling makes their lives easier, the users with whom I've spoken are all for it. Competitors, such as RealNetworks, Sun, IBM, etc., argue that bundling reduces customer choice and hurts users in the long run. Microsoft's competitors say if users had a chance to dabble with third-party products — which always outshine Microsoft's offerings — they'd be willing to shell out for them in a heartbeat. While this argument sounds solid, I have not able to find many users who share this sentiment.

But back to Microsoft's bundle-mania. Microsoft has not discussed publicly its plans to add new Windows components to Vista, beyond acknowledging that it will enhance currently bundled technologies, such as Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer.

Our sources are saying they are expecting Microsoft to dump Windows Messenger and replace it with MSN Messenger by the time Vista ships. Why Microsoft hasn't done this before is anyone's guess. After all, do there really need to be two consumer-focused instant-messaging offerings coming out of the same company? It's confusing enough that there are separate business (Office Communicator) and consumer IM products from Microsoft, in our humble opinion.

At the same time, we we're wagering that Microsoft Mail, the successor to Hotmail that is code-named "Kahuna," is going to replace Outlook Express (which is already bundled into Windows) and find its way into Vista, too. Given that the Softies themselves are referring to Kahuna as "Windows Mail," so our educated guesswork here doesn't seem all that far-fetched.

(The development lead for Windows Mail, Bryan Starbuck, refers to himself as being in charge of "Windows Mail in Windows Vista." That sure sounds like a bundle-in-the-making to us.)

Now that Microsoft has merged the MSN and Windows platform divisions into one of its three newly reorg'd business units, we're betting we could see even more bundling between Windows and the MSN properties, going forward. It will be interesting to watch how Microsoft determines what will end up as a for-pay "service," versus an integrated piece of the Windows puzzle, as things evolve.

What's your take? What other Microsoft products and technologies do you expect Microsoft try to fold into Windows, going forward ? While Redmond's bundling tendencies are bad news for some competitors and partners, are they equally egregious for customers? And is the legal system the best way for those harmed by Microsoft to seek redress?

Talk back below or rite me at mswatch@ziffdavis.com and
let me know what you think.