Already in beta, the subscription-based package will be officially released in the US in June from retailers and via the Web. A year"s subscription will cost $49.95 and will cover up to three personal computers.
The suite will offer anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall components, as well as performance optimisation utilities and back up and restore tools. Technical support - in the form of e-mail, phone and chat - will be included as part of the package.
The automatic and self-updating service is intended to make it simpler for consumers to protect and maintain their PCs. With numerous security threats exploiting the slothfulness of consumers to patch their machines in a timely manner, Microsoft will be aiming squarely at users looking to offload responsibility for maintaining their own systems. Combined with a low price, the proposition could prove attractive to a large proportion of the Windows user base.