Windows Live OneCare Helps Simplify the Multi-PC Environment

With more than one-third of U.S. adults (35 percent) now owning more than one home computer,* households have an increasing need to simplify the way they secure and care for all their PCs. Microsoft Corp. today released the next version of the Windows Live OneCare service.

The service provides all-in-one, self-updating PC care designed to help consumers and small businesses maintain the security and performance of their PCs. Windows Live OneCare, a subscription service part of the Windows Live family, is available at major retail outlets in 17 countries and can also be downloaded at http://onecare.live.com.

Consumers understand they need to take care of their PCs and home network, but they have limited awareness of the required tasks. According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Microsoft, 50 percent of adults who have a home computer and wireless network are concerned about the security of their home wireless network, and only 24 percent of adults who have a home computer have backed up the digital photos stored on their computer within the past month.* Windows Live OneCare answers the increased need for a simple PC care solution that makes it easy to improve security and management of multiple PCs and provide new options for important data backup for the home or small office.

“Customers have told us they want an all-in-one solution for PC care that is simple and easy to use across all the PCs in their home,” said Amy Barzdukas, senior director of Windows Live OneCare at Microsoft. “Windows Live OneCare helps address this need by providing a comprehensive set of security and performance tools while adding new features, including multi-PC management, printer sharing support and centralized backup options.”

Hassle-Free Computing for Home and Small Businesses

Windows Live OneCare offers an all-in-one solution that is simple and automated, providing an enhanced experience for Windows Vista. It helps take the hassle out of multi-PC management and care and provides better peace of mind that the computers in the household are protected. From providing anti-virus protection to setting up wireless configurations and backing up important photos and documents, Windows Live OneCare is the all-in-one solution for today’s busy consumers and offers the following features:
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All-in-one. Windows Live OneCare brings together a complete set of services in a single, easy-to-use interface to help keep users safe and allows them to continually manage and maintain their home PCs.
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Multi-PC and home network management provide a single intuitive user interface for monitoring the security and maintenance of networked computers. They also enable one-click actions to resolve issues among covered computers within a home PC network.
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Simple and automated. PC care is simplified, making it easy for users to manage performance, backup and security for their home or small-office PCs.
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Centralized backup enables users to centrally configure and monitor backups for all PCs covered under the same Windows Live OneCare subscription, with the data from all the PCs backed up to a central location.
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Simple, one-click issue reporting and resolution across the home or small-business network helps eliminate the need to visit individual PCs covered by the Windows Live OneCare subscription to monitor their security.
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Printer-sharing support makes it easy to connect printers to local networks so all computers covered by the Windows Live OneCare subscription and connected to the same local network can share printers.
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Enhanced monthly reports provide a summary of key actions that Windows Live OneCare has performed in the past month, as well as activities and recommended actions for each PC in the local network.
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Online photo backup keeps precious photos safe from theft or accidental loss by backing them up to an off-site location in Windows Live Folders (available at an extra cost).
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Enhanced experience. The perfect companion to Windows Vista, Windows Live OneCare helps users get the most out of their computing experience.
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Proactive fixes and recommendations go beyond basic tune-up tasks by examining the user’s specific system and software and use that information to optimize the computing experience.
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A start-time optimizer speeds PC boot time by identifying and removing rarely used applications from the startup menu.
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Automated updating keeps Windows and other Microsoft applications up to date by enabling the automatic update feature of Microsoft Update.

“I’ve been using the beta of the most recent One Care offering for some time now and am impressed with the combination of protection, centralized control, and the lack of aggravation normally associated with many AV products,” said Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst of the Enderle Group. “It’s a solid improvement and probably the best family solution currently on the market.”

Windows Live OneCare works with the built-in security enhancements to Windows Vista such as Parental Controls to optimize the Windows experience.

Windows Live OneCare is available at local computer stores as well as via the Internet for $49.95 (U.S. ERP), with each license covering up to three computers. Windows Live OneCare is available in 17 countries and in seven languages. Additional information and a free 90-day trial of Windows Live OneCare are available at http://onecare.live.com.