AVG gets local representation

AVG antivirus to be republished in SA

A popular antivirus and internet security suites is now available locally through the efforts of software republisher Phoenix Software.

The republisher has secured the rights to package, market and sell the AVG Antivirus and Internet Security Suite across Africa, while the vendor itself has increased its presence in SA to provide additional support and market development.

According to Simon Campbell-Young, MD of Phoenix Software, AVG is already a recognised brand in South Africa and several African countries. “Some 80 million users around the world use AVG solutions, with well over a million of these in sub saharan Africa. That is remarkable penetration considering that estimates put the number of Internet users in this country at around 9 million,” he says.

To date, AVG has only been available as a download from international sites. However, Campbell-Young says the company, which has offices in the United Kingdom, the USA and mainland Europe, has established a local presence and will work with Phoenix to increase its market share, particularly in the consumer and small to medium business sectors.

Campbell-Young notes that a great number of South African AVG customers are already using the ‘AVG Free’ version which provides basic protection against viruses and spyware (antivirus and antispyware).

“We are now keen to build the market for the full version of AVG Internet Security which we are making available at an attractive Rand price.  This will enable existing and new users to take advantage of substantially expanded protection” AVG Internet Security defends against viruses, spyware, worms, hackers, botnets, poisoned web pages, trojan horses, spam, and other cyberthreats with a full arsenal of digital weaponry. Whether users are surfing, e-mailing, instant-messaging, or downloading files, Internet Security stops threats from becoming problems.

As a software republisher, Campbell-Young says the AVG solutions will be reproduced onto optical media (CDs and DVDs), with packaging produced and printed locally.

“This is a ‘lean’ model which limits inventory in the supply chain; as a result, the AVG product will be competitively priced on retail shelves,” he explains. The software will also be distributed on USB memory keys, ideal for simple installation on computers which don’t have a CD drive, such as increasingly popular mini-notebooks (netbooks).