Microsoft Announces Pricing and Licensing Details for Windows OneCare Live

Promotional price offered to early testers of all-in-one PC care service slated for June 2006 release

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. today announced final licensing and pricing information for its soon-to-be-released Windows OneCare Live, the all-in-one, automatic and self-updating PC care service aimed at helping consumers more easily protect and maintain their PCs to keep them running well. Now available free to new beta testers in the United States, at http://ideas.live.com, Microsoft Windows OneCare Live will be available in June from retailers and via the Web for an annual subscription of $49.95 MSRP for up to three personal computers. To thank its valuable beta customers and offer an easy transition to the paid service, Microsoft also announced today a promotional deal offering the first year of Windows OneCare Live service for $19.95 to beta customers who become subscribers between April 1 and April 30, 2006.

“Consumers have made it clear they need more assistance than what’s offered today, and we are excited to deliver the value of improved protection and maintenance in one comprehensive solution,” said Ryan Hamlin, general manager of the Technology Care and Safety Group at Microsoft. “Windows OneCare Live eases the frustration of protecting your PC and gives consumers greater peace of mind so they can spend less time worrying and more time doing the things they enjoy.”

Windows OneCare Live helps make it simpler and easier for consumers to enhance the overall health of their personal computers by offering automated protection, maintenance, performance tuning and support in an all-in-one package. Hundreds of thousands of people have tested Windows OneCare Live since the beta was launched in November 2005, and Microsoft has continually added features — such as backup for external hard drives — based on their feedback. People have particularly liked the simplicity of the all-in-one nature of the service and, according to recent surveys conducted by Microsoft with Windows OneCare Live beta testers, the vast majority of testers said they would recommend it to a friend or relative.

Designed to Fit Customer Needs
Microsoft research showed that most people’s computers are insufficiently protected from threats such as viruses because users find the protection process confusing and frustrating, and even if they once had protection services on their computers, they are often out of date. Many others have rarely, if ever, backed up the important data on their PCs or regularly run the performance maintenance tasks needed to keep their computers running well — which is risky in a digital age when consumers rely more and more on their PCs in their daily lives. As a part of Microsoft’s overarching efforts to deliver software and services that better protect customers, Windows OneCare Live provides a “just take care of it for me” service that keeps consumers’ needs at the center of the experience. When available as a paid subscription service in June, Windows OneCare Live will include the following features:

• Protection Plus includes anti-virus and firewall protection and automatic updates, as well as anti-spyware functionality powered by Windows Defender, to help protect the PC and the customer.

• Performance Plus delivers regular PC tuneups to help maintain computer performance and reliability.

• Backup and Restore delivers easy-to-use backup and restore functionality for the full PC.

• Help and Support provides effective help when needed through a variety of modes — e-mail, phone and chat — with all service support coming from PC care experts at Microsoft for no additional charge.

Those who want to participate in the free beta test of Windows OneCare Live until April 30 should visit http://ideas.live.com.

Microsoft Windows OneCare Live Fact Sheet: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/msn/factsheet/WindowsOneCareLiveFS.mspx

About MSN and Windows Live
MSN attracts more than 440 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 42 markets and 21 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering compelling programmed content experiences to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide.

Windows Live, a new set of personal Internet services and software, is designed to bring together in one place all the relationships, information and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and security features across their PC, devices and the Web. MSN and Windows Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary services. Some Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov. 1, 2005; these and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com. MSN worldwide sites are located at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Microsoft, Windows OneCare, Windows, MSN and Windows Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.