Grisoft /Avg Interview!

Why did you make a free version of your software???

At Grisoft, we think that the "best advertising" is from satisfied customers. For this reason we make the AVG Free Edition available to users for their personal, home usage. We are confident that once people experience the product and the security it offers them, they will purchase it for their homes and businesses, as well as tell their friends about it. (AVG Free Edition is a stand-alone application not intended for use in networks - the product is not-for-resale and not for use in business applications.)

Will you ever or do you plan to so far to cancel the free version????

We are satisfied with the success of the AVG Free Edition, and currently do not intend to discontinue its availability.

When was your company formed (for those that don't read about pages)????

Grisoft has been developing and marketing anti-virus software since 1990. Over the years, we have grown in terms of the markets we serve: beginning in Central Europe and now selling product in many countries around the world. One thing has not changed over the years: our focus on the anti-virus industry and ensuring that advanced anti-virus protection is accessible to all levels of computer users - Grisoft continues to be a leader in virus detection capability.

How does your virus team keep up with the viruses out in the wild???

There are several ways in which anti-virus vendors track new viruses. Users often submit suspicious files. While these files often contain known viruses or no viruses at all, it is an important source of information in terms of how quickly a virus may be spreading, the area of the world where the virus is active, as well as identification of new viruses. Another important area in the fight against viruses is the cooperation that exists between the virus labs of the anti virus vendors. The sharing of information by the labs ensures that major outbreaks do not occur, or are limited and contained quickly. In addition, the labs work together on the naming protocol for new viruses.

How do you test your programs are there beta tester groups???

Prior to introducing a new product to market, it is important to test the product in as many configurations and real-life situations as possible. Extensive testing is performed in the development labs, but to benefit from the experience of actual end-users, it is often useful to go outside the lab and have customers, resellers and others test the product on a day-to-day basis. This is useful for discovering any bugs that may appear infrequently or in unique configurations, as well as for collecting feedback for future features and functionality.

What do you see is in the future of virus fighting???

It is a continuous effort of improving existing methods of detection of new viruses and being able to deliver virus database updates and appropriate tools to end-users faster. In addition, it is very important to understand new hacker techniques and other developments that will impact the direction of the development of new viruses.

How can a new user or anyone help you and them selves when dealing with viruses etc???

Vital to the protection of your computer against viruses is awareness and responsible computer usage (e.g. using caution when receiving suspicious or unsolicited email attachments). Even a basic understanding about your PC and the operating system goes a long way to keeping you safe against unfriendly attacks. Of course, ensuring that the virus database of your anti-virus program is up-to-date, as well as, for instance, installing patches and security updates made available by Microsoft are also very important steps you can take to protect yourself and others.

What made you come up with such a great program???

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How long did it take to make???

See also question 3 - it is an ongoing process.

May we do a review of your next product???

Yes. AVG Anti-Virus 7.0 will be available at the end of May. Kindly contact me at that time to arrange for a review.

May we do a review of a beta version with your permission???

In the context of the testing performed on a new product prior to its release, "reviewing" a beta version would not bring anything to the members of your user group - after all, a beta version is still an incomplete product. Reviewing the completed product makes much more sense. To arrange for a review, kindly contact me after the launch of AVG Anti-Virus 7.0 in May.

As users what do you think we can do to keep your program in top form???

Perform regular updates. New viruses are discovered frequently. In order for an anti-virus program to provide top performance, it must be updated often. Various types of updates exist - virus database and product updates being the most common. Grisoft provides all updates (virus database, product improvements, etc.) free for all registered AVG Anti-Virus customers for the duration of their license.

May we be beta testers for your program (free version/we will sign a NDA)???

As mentioned above, the testing period for AVG Anti-Virus 7.0 is almost finished. This is something that can be considered for a future release