Avast forays into the Indian market

Minakshi Shetty

ALWIL Software has recently forayed into the Indian market with a 5.0 version of their Avast anti-virus product, which delivers up to 40 percent faster protection. The company has formally appointed Avosec to distribute Avast products in India from April 7.

There is a distinct need for affordable support for the IT security products in India. According to James Norris, CEO, Avosec, “Most of the global anti-virus players have already tried their luck in the Indian market along with the domestic players. So, it has become difficult for customers to choose between the brand and the price factor. We have entered the market at the right time with a technically-rich product and we are sure that we will be able to gain a decent marketshare here.” According to ALWIL Software, customers were finding it difficult to purchase Avast products as they were concerned about local technical support. Hence, the company decided to tie-up with Avosec in India.

Talking about the product's expansion plans in India, Norris said, “Right now, we have an office in Pune. Gradually, we will be increasing our footprint to other cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. As the anti-virus market in India is a competitive one, we will train our channel partners through our technical programs. Our complete focus at this moment is on the channels in India. The market is huge here and emerging at a very fast pace, so this is the right time to enter the market and offer our best bit."

ALWIL Software plans to interact with their channel partners at their first channel meet of Avast in India and share with them details about the products and offerings in India. During the meet, there will be sales and technical presentations made to make partners aware of the benefits of Avast products and the need to promote Avast over competitor products.

Avast has successfully catered to customers like Reliance Industries India, Reliance Media Works, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Billroth Hospitals, Center for Development of Advanced Computing, DRDO, IIT Kanpur, ISRO and many more.