Microsoft plans to release a major update to its Windows Live OneCare security suite next week, according to online retailer Amazon.com. Amazon has already begun accepting orders for OneCare 2.0, which it says will ship next Thursday. Microsoft has been beta testing OneCare 2.0 since July, billing it as a better way for users to manage their home computing environments and as "a foundation to better address the needs of small businesses," according to a company blog posting.
The software, which can be run on up to three PCs, has new tools for backing up, monitoring, and managing home networks. It also has new features to speed up the performance of systems that use the software. Its suggested retail price is $49.95, but Amazon is offering it for $42.99. OneCare is sold on a subscription basis, so these prices would cover a one-year subscription. Since it was introduced last year, OneCare hasn"t exactly been a runaway hit.