You can add Albany to your list of upcoming Microsoft products and services. On Friday, the software giant announced the launch of the new service as a private beta. The announcement confirmed months of rumors.

In an extension of its growing “software plus service” strategy, Microsoft said it is harnessing the Internet to keep productivity and security software up to date.

'All-in-One Subscription Service'

Albany is described by Microsoft as “a new all-in-one subscription service of essential software and services consumers told us were most important to them.” The essential products are productivity and security, Microsoft said, and subscribers will be able to install, with a few clicks, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Mail, Messenger and Photo Gallery.

The Office Live Workspace connector is also installed on the Office toolbar, allowing users to save documents on a dedicated online space for collaboration. Subscribers will be able to get the latest versions and the most recent security updates. Live OneCare includes firewall and antivirus protection.

Consumers have “expressed frustration at having to spend time and effort installing different types of software,” noted Group Product Manager Bryson Gordon in an interview on Microsoft's Web site, and they want a service for “keeping current on new versions and getting their computers set up.” An Albany subscription is good for up to three computers.

The Albany service does not replace the traditional distribution of software packages, Microsoft said. Rather, it addresses the needs of consumers who want the easiest possible way to receive the latest Microsoft Office and security updates. Such updates can be more troublesome for a consumer than a business with an IT department.

Cost a Mystery

Albany is an alternative way to get Office, not its next version. When the next version of Office is released, customers with an active Albany subscription will automatically receive it at no additional cost. Once a subscription is over, Gordon has said a user who chose not to renew would not lose documents or files.

The cost of the service is a mystery for now. Gordon said more information about pricing will be released later this year when Albany moves out of its private beta release.

There was also no mention of installation times or the availability of support.

The new service is yet another move by Microsoft to compete with Google Docs and other productivity suites being offered inexpensively or free to consumers on the Web.