Avast: the antivirus specialist

Avast PLC is a London-based company that develops and distributes security software. However, the group originally comes from the Czech Republic. To this day, the administrative headquarters are therefore located in Prague. The company is particularly known for its free antivirus solution Free Antivirus, which first appeared in 2001. However, the company has also earned a first-class name for itself in the area of paid offerings. For example, the following security solutions from the company are also available for purchase here with us:

• Avast Premium Security
• Avast Ultimate Security 2021
• Avast Secure Line
• Avast Internet Security 2021

The meaning of the name Avast

The name Avast was originally just an abbreviation. It meant "Anti-Virus Advanced Set" or "advanced equipment against viruses". Deliberately, however, a play on words is said to have been used: The name is strongly reminiscent of the "houd vast!" exclamation of Dutch sailors, which means something like "watch out!" or "stop!". This is an allusion to putting a stop to malware. The exclamation mark is said to have long been part of many of the company's offerings for this reason.

The history of Avast

The company's history began in Prague in 1988. At that time, Pavel Baudis and Eduard Kucera joined forces and founded the ALWIL cooperative, which was to take care of the distribution of a new antivirus software. This came from Baudis, who had used it to render the Viennavirus harmless. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the two men were able to transform the cooperative into a company - this happened in 1991.

Six years later, Alwil made its first global appearance. The company licensed its security solutions to McAfee. This gave the company a huge boost, as it now became widely known for the first time. This was followed by the aforementioned move to offer a completely free virus program, the quality of which was intended to convince users to take advantage of the paid protection - and to become even better known.

The calculation paid off: in 2006, the company's various offerings already had more than 20 million users. Within a year, the number of users who used solutions such as Avast Premium Security had doubled. To further accelerate this rise, the previous name ALWIL was consigned to history in 2010. Instead, the company called itself Avast Unlimited from then on, in order to profit as much as possible from the awareness of its own brand. Practically at the same time, the company also entered the field of business security solutions.

The company's success story continued in the 2010s. It launched extremely successful offerings for smartphones. It also acquired several companies in the industry, such as AVG Technologies and Piriform Limited. It had thus finally risen to become a global corporation - which now supplies almost half a billion users with security software.

The speciality of Avast solutions - the offer in detail

The company recognized early on that network security requires a holistic approach. An anti-malware scanner alone does a good job, but it is not enough. The company has therefore divided its consumer business into three parts, with the following titles for the individual divisions:

• Security: this includes the well-known Avast Premium Security, for example. Avast Ultimate Security 2021 is also based here.
• Privacy: This section is all about data protection. With the Avast Secure Line, a reliable VPN service is available for interested users, among other things.
• Performance: This section offers solutions to improve the performance of your devices. For example, apps are offered that can be used to clean systems.

By their very nature, some use cases cannot be neatly assigned to one division. They require overarching apps. The company addresses these cases through solutions like Avast Internet Security 2021. This protects your data on the web, for example, but also prevents you from unintentionally loading malware. Avast Premium Security offers a similar focus, but is even more comprehensive. In this way, you can find the right solution that really fits your personal needs as best as possible.

Numerous awards for Avast as a sign of the consistently high quality of its offerings

In this day and age, the company offers suitable security software for all popular operating systems - i.e. Windows, Mac OS, Android and iOS or iPad OS. The quality of the products has convinced independent testers for years. Here are just a few of the awards that Antivirus Specialist has been able to secure in the course of the recent past:

• IT PRO 2017: "Best antivirus solution for Android"
• AV-Test: "Top product for Windows 2019"
• Cybersecurity Breakthrough Awards 2019: "Best antivirus solution of the year for home users"
• NTV: "German Fairness Award 2020"
• Computerbild Test Winner 2021: "The best protection package 2021"
• Chip 2021: "The best antivirus program for Windows"
• Stiftung Warentest 2021: "Good protection for carefree surfing"

Do you need help choosing the right Avast solution? We are happy to help you

A "curse of the good deed" of the antivirus specialist are the problems that many prospective customers have when choosing. This applies to both private users and companies. The offer is so large that many potential users do not know what to choose. We are happy to help you in such moments. We provide meaningful descriptions for all products. In addition, you are welcome to contact our support and get advice directly. Just send us a message now or give us a call.