May 13, 2005

Microsoft Will Take Care Of Your Computer
But Don't Get Lazy

Today Microsoft announces a comprehensive computer maintenance solution for consumer's PCs. This new service, entitled, Windows OneCare is a subscription service that will protect against worms, viruses and spyware, but also span broader PC health issues: helping protect electronic assets such as digital photos, music, financial data and software; and guarding against performance degradation and system clutter that can result from heavy use.

Just because you can automate many computer functions is NOT a reason to get lazy and lax with security or maintenance. If you get an attachment via an email about your trip to Mexico and you are not going to Mexico, and you decide to open the email and attachment, don't blame anyone but yourself if it's a virus. You must do your part to secure your computer.

Windows OneCare appears to be a blend of various automated Microsoft offerings - some built into Windows and some already subscription services.

"Windows OneCare is the next major advance in our ongoing efforts to help keep consumers' Windows-based PCs 'healthy' in a way that's simple and as worry-free as possible for them," said Ryan Hamlin, general manager of the Technology Care and Safety Group at Microsoft. "We're designing the service so it will continually update and evolve over time, helping to ensure that our customers will have the most complete and effective protection and safety services in place every time they turn on their PC."

Key capabilities and features of Windows OneCare will include the following:

* Defense against evolving threats. Windows OneCare will provide automatically updated anti-virus, anti-spyware and two-way firewall protection.

* Performance and reliability tools. PC owners will be able to choose to have Windows OneCare automatically carry out periodic maintenance tasks such as disk cleanup, hard-drive defragmentation and file repair. The service also will offer boot-time information and proactive support tools to help improve the customer experience.

* Backup and restore capabilities. Windows OneCare will enable automated backup of files by category on CD and DVD, along with the option to back up all files on the system or only those that have changed since the last time the action was performed. If files are accidentally deleted or corrupted on the PC hard drive, the service is designed to restore saved versions or map them on a new PC.

* Simple, integrated service experience. PC users will have one simple point of reference for checking the overall health of their system. Windows OneCare will automatically notify users of available updates or other recommended actions and enable users to easily act as needed. Otherwise, the service stays quiet and in the background.

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