Microsoft announces OneCare security bundle

In further affirmation of the convergence of security into networks and systems, Microsoft Corp. is readying a new consumer security product that offers virus and spyware protection, a new firewall and several tuneup tools for Windows PCs, a move that pits the company squarely against traditional security software vendors.
The product, dubbed Windows OneCare, will be tested internally at Microsoft starting this week, with a beta version scheduled to be available by year's end, Microsoft said in a statement yesterday. The final product will be offered as a subscription service, it said.

OneCare marks Microsoft's long-anticipated entry into the antivirus market, until now the domain of specialized vendors such as Symantec Corp., McAfee Inc. and Trend Micro Inc. Microsoft announced its intent to offer antivirus products two years ago when it bought Romanian antivirus software developer GeCAD Software SRL.

But OneCare will do more than guard against viruses and worms. The product will also include spyware protection and a new firewall that scans incoming and outgoing traffic. The firewall now included in Windows scans only incoming traffic.