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Avast Not Done With Deal-Making After AVG Buy, But No Rush (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the big-shark,-small-shark dept.

Avast Software, maker of the world's most popular computer antivirus program, will need a year to absorb its $1.3 billion buy of rival AVG but may seek further acquisitions before an expected flotation, its chief executive said in an interview, according to Reuters. From a report: Prague-based Avast closed its purchase on Friday of AVG Technologies, another software firm with Czech roots specializing in consumer security. The combined company will have over 400 million users and 40 percent of the consumer computer market outside of China. While Avast will delist AVG shares, it has its own plans to eventually offer shares, maybe as soon as 2019. Before that, it must fully integrate AVG and will then look at mid-tier acquisitions for its push into mobile and, possibly, to expand its small- and medium-sized business offering. "We have to digest AVG first and that is going to take us pretty much all of 2017 to really integrate. Then we will look at expanding the business after that," Avast CEO Vincent Steckler said.

15 comments

  1. Avast me hearties! by TimothyHollins · · Score: 4, Funny

    It be time to plunder the competition, yarr!

  2. Rush? by XXongo · · Score: 1

    "Avast Not Done With Deal-Making After AVG Buy, But No Rush "

    Wait-- they were going to buy Rush?? Is Rush even still around?

    Probably just as well not to buy them, unless they can get a deal with Kansas and maybe Bon Jovi or something.

    1. Re:Rush? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rush only semi-retired this year after a massive world tour and relevant music -- one of their best records ever, which you certainly can't say for Kansas or Bon Jovi. Please don't put them on the same shelf as those nostalgia acts.

    2. Re:Rush? by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1

      1 0 0 1 0 0 1

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    3. Re:Rush? by bheerssen · · Score: 1

      It's his taste that's twenty years old. He's yesterday's Tom Sawyer, mean, mean pride.

      --
      (Score: -1, Stupid)
  3. avast could have gotten more marketshare... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a larger, more popular, competitor, by nixing the 'registration' requirement for the free version, ending the misleading "renewal" and "upgrade" screens, and knocking-off the crap trialware and bundleware.

    ___

    which free antivirus, besides microsoft's, doesn't constantly nag you or require "registration"? is there even any left once avg kicks the bucket?

    1. Re:avast could have gotten more marketshare... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Market share isn't worth having if it doesn't bring in money. The actions you're suggesting would only help tight-fisted freeloaders, and there's no profit in that. Sources of revenue for a "free" antivirus product include;

      * Bundle deals
      * Selling data gathered from use of the product
      * Upselling users to premium versions

      None of this is unreasonable, unless your some kind of communist, everybody has to make a buck somehow.

    2. Re:avast could have gotten more marketshare... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *you're

    3. Re:avast could have gotten more marketshare... by _archangel · · Score: 1

      As the IT manager of a company, we went with AVG on all of our computers specifically because of the lack of bundled crud and the centralized administration. The free version without any bundled software that worked at extracting stuff that other programs left alone gave a positive experience that turned into dozens of licenses for the full business suite.

  4. AV? by Frederic54 · · Score: 1

    I recommended Avast from, like, 1998 to 2010ish but for a couple of years now I just tell people to install the MS thing and that's it.

    --
    "Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
    1. Re:AV? by David_Hart · · Score: 1

      I've been using the free version of Avast for the last 5 years. The last time I looked Avast scored highly in A/V tests, plus it also seems to have robust email virus detection. Windows Defender works well and it has been progressively getting better but I believe that its still behind most of the other A/V products. Plus, I trust Avast to discover viruses and update the detection files quicker than Microsoft.

      Granted, Avast does come with some non-essential modules, but they are easily uninstalled or disabled.

  5. Well...crap by gridsleep764 · · Score: 1

    This is aggravating news. I've been loyal to AVG since they were the first company to market a 64-bit consumer security package. I stopped using Avast because it's control structure was Baroque and difficult to customize, in some cases impossible. If this means the AVG software is going to go the way of eMagic, then I will be pissed. I just bought a new laptop and am looking forward to deleting the Fascist Norton software from it and install AVG. Now, I'm not sure what the future holds. Shit.

  6. Bloatware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Avast is bloaty and doesn't even work that well. It also uses WAY too much data (although I don't know what for).