Windows Live OneCare includes antivirus, antispyware, two-way firewall and anti-phishing technology for all your security needs. It regularly defragments and cleans your hard disk drive, and also offers backup and restore functions. The new 1.5 release sports support for Windows Vista while improving XP support, many new language platforms, as well as overall performance improvements - none of which could have been possible without beta testers. Beta testers should see an email in the next few days offering them "up to 60% off the regular price". Those who have already subscribed will automatically receive the newer version.
Microsoft will release Windows OneCare internationally, in store and on the web, on the same day the company is making Windows Vista and Office 2007 available. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States will see Windows Live OneCare v1.5 on January 30th. Microsoft is fighting Symantec, McAfee, and Trend Micro with quite aggressive pricing: $49.95 for installation on up to three computers running Windows XP or Vista. Microsoft secured a mediocre 1.2% of worldwide antivirus revenue in 2005 but analysts expect the numbers to climb as more countries get access to the software.