Windows Live OneCare 1.5 is synonymous with Microsoft's first steps in the security industry. And OneCare's baby steps have received little applause and instead generated a consistent amount of criticism. OneCare managed to fair poorly in two security tests in the first month on the market. And fairly poor is an understatement, an euphemism.

First off, OneCare is among the security solutions that have not received certification from Virus Bulletin following its failure to detect all the malware instances thrown at it in the VB100 test for Windows Vista. And then OneCare ranked last out of no less than 17 security solutions in a comparison performed by AV Comparatives.

And since Microsoft did not succeed to meet the expectations and the security standard delivered by its competitors in the field with version 1.5 it now moved on to OneCare 2.0. The Redmond Company has announced that sign ups are now live for Windows Live OneCare Beta 2.0.

"We think you're going to like all the great things about Windows Live OneCare, and as a beta program participant you'll have the chance to try out all the new features first. We will send you relevant updates and information regarding your Windows Live OneCare beta participation and will not share your e-mail address with any third parties. The first notice you receive from us will include the option to discontinue further notices regarding Windows Live OneCare," Microsoft stated.

OneCare 2.0 will debut its beta stage by the end of April and the final product is scheduled for availability in the third quarter of 2007. OneCare 2.0 will bring to the table an evolved security solution in comparison with version 1.5. The upcoming version will focus on unifying multi-PC protection over wireless and wired networks, delivering centralized monitoring and maintenance.