Yoav has invited me to be a guest blogger today to help celebrate an important occasion.  Beginning today, May 31st, Windows Live OneCare is available in over a dozen of the top retail stores nationwide in the U.S. and as a direct download from Microsoft at http://onecare.live.com.  The OneCare team has worked extremely hard to build this great service and I’d like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on a job well done! 

Being new to the OneCare team blog, I’d like to take a quick moment to introduce myself.  I’m Ryan Hamlin, general manager of the Technology Care and Safety Group at Microsoft, a team dedicated to helping further Microsoft’s companywide vision and innovation to address online safety and consumer PC care issues.  As part of this role, I oversee the Windows Live OneCare team, which has built the all-in-one PC care service you have all come to love. 

We’re constantly investigating the needs and demands of our customers and it is this process which first spurred the idea of Windows Live OneCare.  Our Windows customers told us that they didn’t have the time, or in some cases the expertise, to keep up with the protection and maintenance tasks required to keep their PCs running well.  For example, our research showed that only 1 in 10 consumers were effectively backing up their valuable personal data, including music and photos. These customers wanted a new approach to PC care - a “just take care of it for me” experience. That’s why we developed Windows Live OneCare. Over half a million users participated in the OneCare beta and we were able to add some great features based on their valuable feedback, including back-up to USB hard drive. As a result, a much higher percentage of Windows Live OneCare customers now back up on a regular basis, thus minimizing their risk of losing value data such as photos or music.

We’ve decided to celebrate the launch of Windows Live OneCare in a thrilling new way, appropriate for a service that has established PC Care as an entirely new category in the industry.  We’ve partnered with one of our premier retail partners - Best Buy - to wrap the Best Buy sponsored No. 66 NASCAR stockcar in OneCare logos.  Jeff Green, the #66 driver will pilot the Windows Live OneCare car in the Neighborhood Excellence 400 event this Saturday, June 4, at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del.

So you’re bound to ask - what does Windows Live OneCare have to do with stock car racing and NASCAR?  I’m glad you asked.  Jeff Green is an excellent driver, with years of racing experience, but he couldn’t be successful without the behind the scenes work of a talented pit-crew.  His pit crew ensures that his vehicle is safe and running at maximum performance, so Jeff can focus on what’s important: driving.  Windows Live OneCare is remarkably similar.  It handles the day-to-day, behind the scenes maintenance to keep your PC safe and running smoothly, so you can focus on what’s important to you: enjoying your online experience and digital lifestyle.  Windows Live OneCare is like a pit-crew for your PC. 

We recognize that consumers have a choice when it comes to taking care of their PCs.  In fact, others in the industry have recognized the need for PC care services and have announced that they are developing similar offerings.  We see our comprehensive PC care approach as a new and important direction for consumer PC services and are not surprised that others are working to develop similar offerings.  We’re confident our innovative “pit-crew” style service will meet the demands of our customers; and as our customers’ demands evolve, Windows Live OneCare will evolve.  We will continue to provide the “take care of it for me experience” that you have come to expect. 

So now that you have a little background on OneCare’s history and future, please go to http://onecare.live.com or one of many retailers around the country and give Windows Live OneCare a try.  We’re confident you will be very happy with the final service.  

Thanks,

Ryan