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so will this be an auto update for defender or do we need to DL a fresh copy?
http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-6065101.html?part=macworld-cnet&tag=6065101&subj=newsAs Microsoft prepares to roll out its Windows Live OneCare security product, it is offering some people the $49.95-a-year service for free.
On Tuesday, Microsoft sent e-mail invitations to a select number of people who have been testing OneCare, asking them to join a "perpetual beta." These people get to use the service at no cost and will have early access to new features, said Brooke Richardson, a lead product manager at Microsoft.
"They do not have to pay for the service, but we ask them to give us feedback," she said. "We expect it will be a small number of our users, less than 1 percent of our user base, that we will ask to stay in this perpetual beta." That would be hundreds or thousands of users, Richardson said.
The testers will receive beta software, which could have glitches, Richardson said. However, Microsoft doesn't plan to load code onto PCs that will really break the system, she said. Testers will receive updates to the software a few days before Microsoft plans to release it to the general public, according to Microsoft's beta test Web site, accessible only to testers.
Independent testing labs validate anti-malware protection capabilities of all-in-one PC care service slated for June 2006 release.
Microsoft Corp. today announced that Windows Live™ OneCare™, the all-in-one, automatic and self-updating PC care service aimed at helping consumers more easily protect and maintain their PCs, has been certified by ICSA Labs as an effective solution to combat viruses and other forms of malicious code as well as providing a quality firewall service. In addition, OneCare has achieved West Coast Labs’ Checkmark certification, meeting the lab’s criteria for protection against viruses and Trojans. OneCare customers now benefit from the increased confidence of utilizing an independently tested and certified service.
“These certifications from two of the world’s most trusted independent cybersecurity testing organizations is a milestone in the development of Windows Live OneCare,” said Dennis Bonsall, director of Windows Live OneCare in the Online Business Group at Microsoft. “As we continue to advance toward launching this full service in the coming weeks, gaining the ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs seals of approval validates OneCare as a comprehensive source of protection that helps customers enhance the overall safety and health of their personal computers.”
ICSA Labs, an independent division of global information security specialist Cybertrust, is recognized as the global standard for security product certification. Testing consists of a comprehensive analysis of security-related risks likely to be encountered by the product. This process, representing three certifications, includes extensive testing of the anti-malware product’s ability to detect and disinfect common and “in-the-wild” viruses and a thorough analysis of the firewall’s ability to restrict unwarranted access. Certification criteria are continually updated to address constantly evolving computer security threats. “To become certified, a company’s product must meet demanding, industry-accepted criteria that prove its resistance to an array of threats and risks,” said Larry Bridwell, content security programs manager at ICSA Labs. “Windows Live OneCare has met the high standard of ICSA Labs certification, and the service’s customers can be confident that it will deliver a high level of security and reliability.”
West Coast Labs’ Checkmark certification system has become recognized as a leading global standard for anti-malware certification and testing to real-world standards. The final version of Windows Live OneCare has been certified against three Checkmark criteria: for virus detection, virus cleaning, and Trojan detection. “The Checkmark System certifies information security products to real-world standards,” said Chris Thomas, operations director at West Coast Labs. “Checkmark Certification is an acknowledgement that Windows Live OneCare has satisfied all the criteria outlined in the test suites for protection against viruses and Trojans.”
Microsoft will complete its entry into the desktop security market next week with the general release of its Windows Live OneCare antivirus software.
OneCare, which also includes backup and PC-tuning software, has been available for free in beta form since November, but as of next Thursday customers will be able to purchase the final, supported product, according to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans.
OneCare will cost $49.95 per year, which will cover licenses for as many as three Windows XP PCs. That means "98 percent of homes in the U.S. will be able to buy one subscription and be able to cover all of their PCs," Microsoft Group Program Manager Brian Hall said in an interview earlier this year.
A spokesperson for Microsoft's public relations agency declined to comment for this story except to confirm that the product would be available for purchase from the Web and in retail stores in the next few weeks.
Windows Live OneCare is Going International
Here’s something I’ve been looking forward to announcing for a long time now. Many blog readers noticed in our initial announcement (around February of this past year) that our initial release was to the US only. Well, you spoke loud and clear that there was international demand for OneCare – and we heard you. Over the past few months we’ve been working very hard on the international versions of OneCare, and are now ready to tell you that we’ll have international betas available by the end of the year, if not sooner, in the following markets:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.