Microsoft plans to jump in feet first with its first foray into the software antivirus market. The company's subscription-based Windows OneCare Live software will launch in June of this year

Over 20,000 beta testers have been putting the software through the ringer since November of last year. They have provided much needed input for the security suite which offers antivirus and spyware protection, an integrated firewall, backup utilities and performance tuning software.

Microsoft's established competitors aren't sitting idle while the Redmond-based company enters the a market which is expected to top $6 billion by 2008:

Last week, Symantec's CEO John Thompson said the company would make investments to fend off Microsoft and any other potential competitors.

Symantec, the world's biggest security software company, said it plans to offer its own all-in-one subscription-based software product code-named "Genesis" that it expects to introduce later this year.

Microsoft Windows OneCare Live will have a price tag of $49.95 annually for use on up to three machines.