Dr. Web Free AV?

Discussion in 'other anti-virus software' started by J_L, Jan 28, 2011.

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  1. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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  2. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    It isn't CureIt, the filename and filesize are different.
     
  3. simisg

    simisg Registered Member

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    i don't believe this i have run the .exe it says dr.web antivirus windows 5 (free edition)..............ouao!
     
  4. risl

    risl Registered Member

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    Current Dr.Web is 6.0. Maybe their approach will be to offer older generation antivirus as a free product?
     
  5. littlebits

    littlebits Registered Member

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  6. jason_jiang

    jason_jiang Registered Member

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    this version was only for promotions in china mainland, and already discontinued.
     
  7. simisg

    simisg Registered Member

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    yes is true...... is ask for key now :oops:
     
  8. Saraceno

    Saraceno Registered Member

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    Dr Web should consider releasing a free version, of just the AV for personal use only. Firewall as the paid version.

    Works for Avast, Avira etc.

    No harm in trying it for 12 months, see how many more paid customers like the free version and upgrade.
     
  9. littlebits

    littlebits Registered Member

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    I agree the same goes for Norton, Nod32, Kaspersky, etc. I'm sure it would be a better business model for them all since many users who use free versions upgrade to the paid versions. It not like they have anything to loose since users who want free AV will still use the other AV's already available.

    Thanks.:)
     
  10. SweX

    SweX Registered Member

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    I have been thinking about this many many times, but still I haven't told anyone about it :D

    But YES, I do agree with you about this.

    For example if Dr.Web Or ESET or any other vendor that I like and support would release a Free version I would personally buy the paid one to support the vendor, and since it's a great product of course!
     
  11. Blackcat

    Blackcat Registered Member

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    Their Enterprise/AV-desk products are earning them their money now so less emphasis on attracting the Home user, particularly those from overseas.

    Therefore, I doubt whether they would offer a free version (not CureIt) now.

    However, they could extend their migration offer to Home users as in the past.
     
  12. Matthijs5nl

    Matthijs5nl Guest

    I hear a lot of comments that if big vendors will provide a free version and a paid version, many users of the free version will use the premium to support the product. That is really nonsense, look at the avast! data: more than 95% is using the Free version, less than 5% is using one of the two paid versions.
     
  13. Saraceno

    Saraceno Registered Member

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    True huge majority are free users, and stay free users.

    But look what they get:
    - refine their product with more user feedback
    - better detections from users submitting samples
    - better enterprise product
    - better publicity, promotion, word of mouth for the product

    IT managers etc are home users as well, and they have a say in what's installed on corporate computers. If Dr Web received five million free users, and going by a basic 5 per cent are paid users, that'd mean they receive 250 000 paid users.

    250 000 paid users, say they charged a cheap $20 a licence for the upgraded firewall and support, they'd receive $5 million revenue, minus infrastructure costs, minus additional staff for support, plus unknown revenue from additional corporate products.

    I say trial it for 12 months, what do they have to lose? They're already losing out to Avast, Avira and the free programs, might as well start building some further support for the product, get them name 'thrown' into the ring when people discuss corporate products, and which one to install on the network. (Avast is now a household name, and it's rapidly closing the gap on Norton/McAfee in the corporate world through home user experience - IMO in the country/state I'm in)
     
  14. Matthijs5nl

    Matthijs5nl Guest

    True, but then you need to deliver a proper free product which will get good reviews, otherwise you won't get any market share since the market seems rather static, with the big three A's. (And less importantly: MSE and even less important: Panda Cloud) But can you generate that much positive feedback with an product which uses 2008/2009 technologies?
     
  15. Saraceno

    Saraceno Registered Member

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    I see your point.

    Programs like Kaspersky don't need a free version as their technology is considered advanced, and people whip the credit card out straight away, 'sandbox, HIPS, don't know what they are, but I need em!'.

    Dr Web is using older technology, so they will find it difficult to generate positive feedback. Surely it's even more difficult though trying to sign up paid users with only a trial version. Many people don't have it on long enough to want to pay for it, and the cost rivals the big companies.

    I still think a free version could give them the chance to have greater exposure, new ideas for the product, inject cash in the short term to plan for delivering for a larger market in the longer term.

    They advocate their product cleans, and cures problem files where other AVs simply delete. So they do have something going for them.

    It's a tough one. I like the company, benefited from their CureIt, boot cd, link scanner in the past. Maybe their future is to integrate with another small company which has technology such as a behaviour blocker, or in another specialty.

    As a far-off idea, Dr Web with ThreatFire type technology (SafenSec used Dr Web at one time, why not the other way around?), Dr Web with superantispyware definitions but as the one product, Dr Web with a flash scan (Hitman Pro type program, or Hitman Pro itself integrated - I mean, this could be Hitman Pro's way of offering a 'resident' version, which is light, and simple, without conflicts). Add that extra as the paid version. The other company would benefit too.

    They need something... :cautious:
     
  16. 1000db

    1000db Registered Member

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    These two products (PCAV for sure) help improve detection for their paid counterparts by helping to generate signatures. The free user base being much much larger encounters many files, safe and malicious, than the paid versions, but th paid versions get the same sigs. Dr. Web could really benefit from such a system to improve their detection and product. I think a free version could help many sub-par vendors if they had a good free offering, even if they only offered a limited release.
     
  17. Matthijs5nl

    Matthijs5nl Guest

    I agree that including a free version of the product would be a good opportunity for a lot of vendors, for indeed several reasons: collecting data, creating brand awareness and so on. However in my eyes it will fail for a lot of companies, since the business model will make them take wrong decisions.
    Since most of those companies are using a business model based on paid products, and the companies who are having success with free products are freemium companies (avast! as best example, AVG is going to right direction with including Identity Protection in the Free Edition).
    With the wrong decision I mean that they will most likely release a free product, which is just a crippled version of the paid product. For example Agnitum Free Suite, which has that pathetic "only 1 update per day" drawback. I think releasing free products only works when you use the freemium model, in which the protection of the paid products will only be marginally better than the free one (or maybe even not better).

    Also the antivirus market is quite hard, especially for home users. It is nearly impossible to make entrance in the market. Most users will only use the big names since they don't know what options are available on the market. They will most likely end up with Norton, McAfee and Trend Micro, because they are installed on OEM machines. And ofcourse other well-known vendors (Kaspersky, ESET, and just a few others) and the 3 major free solutions because they were recommended (plus Microsoft Security Essentials maybe). I mean, just look at the market, there are so many antiviruses available which don't have any relevant market share, just take a look at WildList certifications and you will see unknown companies.

    I hope it is clear what I mean, quite difficult sometimes, writing down your Dutch thoughts in English.
     
  18. Saraceno

    Saraceno Registered Member

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    Crystal clear. :thumb: :cool:
     
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