Windows Live OneCare 2.0, offered as an annual subscription for a three-user licence, includes upgrades and unlimited support. The beta of version 2.0 is a free download.
The beta version includes a new multi-PC and home network management feature that will aid the management of multiple PC environments by offering a single navigation bar for monitoring the security and maintenance of networked computers.
The software makes it easy to connect printers to local networks so all users can access the same printer. It also provides a summary in the Windows Live OneCare dialogue box of activities and recommended actions for all PCs in a network.
The newest version of the package adds support for 64-bit PC systems and speeds up PC boot time by removing rarely used applications from the startup menu.
A proactive fixes and recommendations feature will look at the configuration of a system and make proactive fixes and recommendations.
In a blog posting, OneCare lead product manager Gina Narkunas says users increasingly need to do the extra work involved in connecting devices and securing networks, as well as multiple PCs.
In addition, this version tackles the needs of small businesses that may not have the resources for onsite IT support. For example, it provides new functionality for backing up data, and protection against malware.
The version, which comes just six months after the launch of OneCare 1.5 in January, includes new tools for locking down wireless networks and an automated, self-adjusting firewall.
Forrester Research analyst Natalie Lambert says the offer of coverage for multiple PCs at a lower costs will push other software suppliers to cut their own pricing and will change consumer perceptions about the cost of antivirus tools.
"The market is dramatically changing and Microsoft is part of the reason for that," Lambert says. "If you look at demand, consumers are not as willing to pay for security software as they were in the past.
"They've found ways to get these programs for free and Microsoft started some of that activity by driving prices down."
OneCare 2.0 appears to have pulled Microsoft closer to some of its rivals, Lambert says, although many consumers may not be ready to use all of the tools.
Even so, researchers at Austria-based AV-Comparatives, managed by security expert Andreas Clementi, rate the first version of OneCare last in a comparative test with similar products from other security developers in handling large numbers of Trojan horses, viruses and worms.
Germany's G Data Security Software came out on top, capturing 99.45 per cent of the malicious code, while Microsoft's software was beaten by 16 other products, including offerings from Symantec, McAfee, Kaspersky Lab and F-Secure.
In stopping systems intrusion through back doors and other malware attacks, OneCare ranked last out of 13 vendors with 79.6 per cent detection.
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