Origins
The roots of AVAST Software began in 1988 when Czech technology
innovators Eduard Kučera and Pavel Baudiš decided to pursue a passion
for computer programming. Today, with about 150 professionals at its
headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, and a dedicated community of
enthusiasts around the globe, with distribution partners in all markets,
AVAST Software offers a portfolio of award-winning security software –
in more than 30 languages – to 161,214,309 registered users and
129,286,127 active users.
The avast! product-line starts with avast! Free Antivirus for home
users and continues to top-of-the-line solutions for business clients.
AVAST Software timeline
2011 |
- Launch of avast! 6.0 series, with new AutoSandbox , WebRep, and SafeZone™;
- first time a free antivirus is offered with automatic virtualization
|
|
2010 |
- 130 million registered users;
- Summit Partners invests $100 million for a minority share;
- company changes name to AVAST Software;
- launch of avast! 5.0, with new antivirus engine and optional Silent Firewall and virtualization Sandbox
|
2009 |
- Registered-users base jumps from 68 million to over 100 million;
- company reaches 100 employees;
- Vince Steckler hired as CEO;
- departments reorganize and upper management is added
|
2008 |
- avast! 4.8 released;
- 50 million registered users and 60 employees;
- major focus on acquiring a multinational sales & support team;
- push to localize avast! antivirus and avast.com into more language offerings
|
2007 |
- Release of avast! Mac Edition and avast! Windows Home Server Edition;
- ALWIL Software transforms into a joint stock company;
- 40 million registered users and 38 employees
|
2006 |
- 20 million registered users;
- avast! Linux Home Edition released;
- avast! antivirus wins prestigious SC Awards for: Best Antivirus, Anti-Malware (European), and Readers’ Choice (USA)
|
2005 |
- Release of avast! 4.6 and avast! U3 Edition, the latter part of a large deal with SanDisk U3 smart drives;
- new business model introduces product suites;
- focus on international support team begins
|
2004 |
- Czech Republic joins the European Union;
- avast! Linux version and avast! 4.5 Home/Professional released;
- avast! Distributed Network Manager (ADNM) and avast! BART CD 2.0 released;
- sales begin via international Reseller channel
|
2003 |
- Launch of (free) avast! 4 Home Edition (under Ondrej Vlček's R&D supervision);
- online sales distribution begins via share-it! (by Digital River);
- avast! Bootable Antivirus & Recovery Tool (BART) CD released
|
2002 |
- Founder Eduard Kučera implements innovative user-community growth strategy;
- very first avast! antivirus Home Edition user registers
|
1998 |
- Release of avast! Server Edition
|
1997 |
- ALWIL Software provides McAfee with its antivirus engine;
- first technical-support specialist hired
|
1996 |
- avast! antivirus is one of the first three antivirus programs globally to win VB100 awards in all categories
|
1995 |
- avast! is the first Windows 95 antivirus program
|
1993 |
- Czechoslovakia splits into Czech and Slovak republics ("the Velvet Divorce")
|
1991 |
- ALWIL Software transforms into a joint partnership
|
1989 |
- The Velvet Revolution and new Czechoslovak independence bring economic freedom to business endeavors
|
1988 |
- Pavel Baudiš writes a program to remove the Vienna Virus and with
Eduard Kučera starts ALWIL Software cooperative, to release the first
avast! antivirus
|
Careers
Innovation is our business
To lead the innovative business strategies implemented by its
founders, AVAST Software employs top industry experts who bring many
decades of professional experience to their teams.
See our available openings on Jobs.cz
