Microsoft is set to announce the availability and pricing plans of its OneCare Live security software subscription service this week.
Reports say the service could be as little as £30 a year, which means the service would undercut the packaged subscription services currently on offer from leading security players like Symantec and McAfee.
Microsoft is said to be planning a launch date of OneCare before the beginning of summer.
OneCare provides anti-virus, and anti-spyware protection, along with a firewall. There are also data back-up features and several tools to allow users to automatically optimise their Windows-based PCs.
A public test version of the product was started at the end of last year, after the company unveiled the service last May.
Analyst IDC says the global market for anti-virus software alone will reach £4.3bn by 2009, illustrating why Microsoft wants a slice.
OneCare is aimed at consumers and business home users. For the enterprise market, Microsoft is developing its new Microsoft Client Protection platform for desktops, laptops and file servers.
