Microsoft Corp. will complete its entry into the desktop security market next week with the general release of its Windows Live OneCare antivirus software.
OneCare, which also includes backup and PC tuning software, has been available for free in beta form since last November, but as of next Thursday customers will be able to purchase the final, supported product, according to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans.
OneCare will cost US$49.95 per year, which will cover licenses for as many as three Windows XP PCs. That means that "98 percent of homes in the U.S. will be able to buy one subscription and be able to cover all of their PCs," Microsoft Group Program Manager Brian Hall said in an interview earlier this year.
A spokeswoman for Microsoft's public relations agency declined to comment for this story except to confirm that the product would be available for purchase from the Web and in retail stores "in the next few weeks."
OneCare includes firewall, antivirus and backup software, as well as Microsoft's Windows Defender antispyware technology. The product also takes care of routine maintenance tasks like defragmenting the hard disk and cleaning up unused temporary files
