Microsoft has launched Windows One Care Live Security beta, an anti-virus and anti-spyware service for consumers only.

The service offers anti-virus, firewall, backup and recovery, as well as personal computer maintenance. Initially free, it will eventually be available for a subscription fee.

The service is part of the company's Windows Live strategy announced last month, which sees Microsoft compete more directly with the likes of Google, Yahoo and Salesforce.com by using the web to deliver new products and services to customers.

Windows Live is a web-based service whereby users can sign up for a 'live' home page that pulls in constantly updating content from a range of information sources including web searches, email, syndicated headlines from other sites and photos and audio from across the web.

Microsoft has already introduced its Windows Live Safety Centre service allowing a one-time fix requiring consumers to go back to the web site. OneCare Live provides constant and more comprehensive protection against viruses and other security threats.

Microsoft says its target market for OneCare Live is the estimated 70 per cent of consumers who do not have anti-virus software or do not keep it updated.

The move follows the firm’s acquisition of anti-virus firm GeCad Software, and anti-spyware firms Giant and Sybari to bolster its anti-spyware offering.

An enterprise desktop version, to be called Microsoft Client Protection, is expected to be available next year.

Graham Titterington, an analyst at Ovum, said: “This is very important news for the IT security industry, and hence for all IT users. Microsoft will have a major effect on the market, even if it tries to restrain itself in order to avoid anti-monopoly investigation. It will inevitably become the default choice of supplier on Windows platforms, both on the desktop and in the consumer space.

“The issue for the other security vendors is how to adjust their costs to reflect a lower volume of sales without compromising the quality of their offering. Mergers and rationalisation in the industry are inevitable.”

Microsoft said 15,000 customers are already using the service.