Microsoft to Offer Security Suite

This should help the user to reduce spyware and viruses on your computer. I think this is a great move, and should take some of the stress out of the typical user’s computing experience.

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) – Microsoft Corp. is rolling out a test version of an all-in-one subscription service that aims to protect computer users from viruses and spyware and give them tools to make machines speedier.

The Redmond-based software company is distributing Windows OneCare to its 60,000 employees this week. It plans to run a larger invitation-only test this summer, then launch a full-scale test by year’s end.

The company has not said when it would release the subscription service to consumers.

“We’re going to take our time. We want to make sure we get this right the first time,” said Ryan Hamlin, general manager for Microsoft’s technology, care and safety team.

Microsoft hasn’t set a price for an annual subscription, but Hamlin said it would include unlimited phone, e-mail and chat support.

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PC users could set up OneCare to periodically perform maintenance work like cleaning up disks, repairing files and defragmenting hard drives so that bits of data aren’t inefficiently spread out. The service would keep track of how long it takes a computer to boot up and pin down problems that might be making the machine run more slowly. And consumers could opt to have their files automatically backed up on CD or DVD.