Digital Fitness Networks has partnered with Avast Antivirus in order to expand our antivirus offerings to our clients and potential clients.

On July 7th, Avast Antivirus announced it’s acquisition of AVG Technologies, a developer of business, mobile and PC device security software application for $ 1.3B.  Both companies are industry pioneers founded in the Czech Republic in the late 1980s and early 1990s, that expanded internationally in the 2000s, and now will be combining complementary strengths to position Avast for continued growth in the security industry.

Combining Avast’s and AVG’s users, the organization will have a network of more than 400 million endpoints, of which 160 million are mobile, that act as de facto sensors, providing information about malware to help detect and neutralize new threats as soon as they appear. This increase in scale will enable Avast to create more technically advanced personal security and privacy products.

We have now used Avast to leverage our position in the antivirus and endpoint protection market of the managed services industry to include potential clients that are currently using Avast products and intend to convert over to a managed product line.  Avast CloudCare is a collection of powerful, layered online security services for small and medium businesses.

More protection with a managed platform than standalone antivirus products

By using a managed antivirus solution, Avast CloudCare Managed Antivirus Platform software provides your business with consistent, reliable protection from viruses and malware. It also lifts the burden of maintaining current definitions from your employees.

By now, most people are familiar with the term ‘antivirus’. They know that the majority of solutions are a monthly or yearly subscription that they pay for. By subscribing, the company that created the program will update virus databases, allowing scanners to identify viruses during a computer scan. This type of antivirus software is often referred to as unmanaged, largely because the end-user has the ability to deny updates, turn off the scanner, or uninstall it.

A Managed Antivirus solution is provided by your IT provider. These tech experts take care of installing the software on computers and other devices, and will then manage the solution. They will also ensure that scanners are up-to-date and scans are scheduled for a convenient time, thus protecting computers. The best way to think of these solutions is that they are specifically provided by a company to look after your computers and protect them from viruses.

The Avast CloudCare platform allows us several distinct advantages over unmanaged antivirus services. Part of your Managed AV package includes periodic scanning and Virus remediation. With Avast CloudCare, we can connect securely to any device with the CloudCare agent installed and remotely resolve issues, perform tasks, reboot computers, transfer files, chat with users, and more. It allows us to Monitor all threats from a single dashboard and reports directly to our monitoring and management software for reporting and notifications. Alerts are configured based on specific device actions and monitor from a centralized alert dashboard for full transparency into individual device issues as well as threats that might be spreading among connected devices.  Avast CloudCare also allows us to deploy unified, layered cybersecurity services. With CloudCare protection on your network, you can deliver a range of IT security services that provide complete, in-depth protection against all forms of malware and other cyberthreats – whether they originate from inside or outside the network via email, websites, or the internet.

CloudCare Features

  • Intuitive Dashboard – View all alerts at-a-glance, address issues, and provide the information you need to make informed decisions, add services, and take speedy action to increase uptime, stability, and security
  • Comprehensive Reporting – Gather data from service overviews, alert summaries, and content filtering and generate easy-to-read, detailed activity reports with the click of a button.
  • Device and Policy Management – Manage security for all devices with the CloudCare agent. Policy changes will automatically configure themselves on the agent-controlled devices in real time, requiring less maintenance and making it easier to scale business operations.
  • Real-time Alerting – Configure alerts for important issues that need your attention and immediately send email/SMS messages to affected parties, improving your reaction time and and limiting exposure.

Benefits of Managed AntiVirus and Endpoint Protection Services

  1. All systems will have the same level of security – With a managed service, your IT partner will make sure to install software on all your systems. This means that there should be the same program installed on your systems, and that the antivirus will be updated to ensure that systems are protected from new security threats that come along.
  2. It is easier to manage – Managing your antivirus solution can be a tough task, especially in larger companies where different solutions may need to be employed. By working with an IT partner, your antivirus solutions are managed by tech experts. This is a great solution for business owners who aren’t too familiar with technology, or an overworked IT department.
  3. The solutions can be low-cost – Most managed antivirus solutions are offered as a monthly package, where companies pay per user. For some companies, this solution is more affordable per user than a non-managed solution. This is especially true if you have a high number of users and need to purchase multiple licenses.
  4. Management is continual – With unmanaged solutions, many users turn the antivirus protection off because it can slow their computer down or because they believe their usage habits are not compromising security. Managed antivirus solutions usually can’t be uninstalled or turned off, meaning your systems are continually protected.
  5. Your systems are truly protected – Regardless of how secure your systems are and the steps you take to ensure that malware doesn’t get through, the chances are you will eventually be infected. When you are, it may be tricky to actually completely remove the virus. IT partners are trained in how to do this quickly and efficiently and can usually completely remove the virus, ensuring that your systems are truly secure.

If you are looking for a managed antivirus solution, contact us today as we may have a solution that will work with your business.