Starting Jan. 30, consumers in the United States and 16 other countries will be able to purchase a major release of Windows Live™ OneCare™ online or from participating retail stores. Building on versions of Microsoft’s comprehensive PC care service previously available in the United States, the new Windows Live OneCare release will now offer an even simpler consumer experience. The service will feature unified virus and spyware scanning, more flexible file backup options and support for the Windows Vista™ operating system, which will also be available to consumers on Jan. 30. Delivering on the OneCare promise of a simple, evolving service, all active OneCare subscribers will be automatically upgraded to this latest release with new features and enhancements while they’re online.

To thank the consumers worldwide who participated in the Windows Live OneCare beta program for this major release, a special offer will be sent via e-mail to beta users for a significant discount off the annual subscription fee when they sign up at http://onecare.live.com. From Jan. 23 through Feb. 12, Windows Live OneCare beta users who take advantage of this offer will receive a year’s service at approximately 60 percent off the regular price. In addition, many retailers plan to offer rebates and other in-store promotions for Windows Live OneCare in the coming weeks.