Avira 'fesses up: Our software isn't compatible with Windows 8
Firm clutches smoking gun, hops toward 2012
Customer Success Testimonial: Recovery is Everything
Update Freebie anti-virus firm Avira has admitted its security software is not compatible with either Windows 8 or Windows 12 Server.
The German firm issued an advisory on Friday admitting its products would not be compatible with Windows 8 until the first quarter of 2013 after users complained that attempting to run Avira's software on Microsoft's latest operating system results in the infamous Blue Screen of Death, H-Security reports. Users have to manually uninstall the technology to get around the problem. Avira's technology isn't yet compatible with Windows Server 12 either, as an advisory by the firm (below) explains.
Windows 8 introduces significant changes to the operating system platform. As with any new computer operating system, it is possible that some existing software is not compatible with it. Currently, the Avira products are not ready for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 (Built on Windows 8).Avira is working closely with Microsoft to achieve compatibility for the products as soon as possible. Therefore, it can be said with certainty that the Avira products will be compatible with Windows 8 in the first quarter of 2013.
The delay puts Avira at a marked disadvantage to security firms which offer basic anti-virus software to consumers without cost, such as AVG and Avast, in the hopes of nagging persuading them to use more functional paid-for security products later. AVG, Avast and Avira all claim to have more than 100 million users of their desktop software.
Avira is the smallest of the three and its market share is likely to suffer unless it can sort out its Windows 8 compatibility problems sooner rather than later. ®
UPDATE: Travis Witteveen, COO of Avira, has been in touch to confirm the delay, which he said had been necessary to match features and functionality of Avira's software to a radically re-engineered version of Windows.
"Microsoft is working hard to get users to upgrade to Windows 8 so we're aware of the risk that we may lose some customers," Witteveen told El Reg.
"Windows 8 offers improved built-in security features so the challenge for all anti-virus vendors is to add value. We want to provide matching features and functionality and are working diligently on Windows 8," he added.
Although Avira has said its software won't be available until sometime in Q1 2013, Witteveen suggested that it will be able to release compatible products within weeks rather than months.
COMMENTS
So Avira hasn't been testing its products against the alpha and beta builds? Shame on them.
Impressive!
I suppose Windows 8 RTM came as a complete surprise to them, and they hadn't noticed the Developer Preview, the Customer Preview and the Release Preview.
Re: Windows Defender
There's more to security than anti-virus, but there are finally favourable things being said about Microsoft Security Essentials, which to me seems to be simply renamed as Windows Defender for Windows 8. Evidently, third-party competing products do need to justify themselves. Having said that, disabling the competitor's product is another familiar Microsoft trick just as renaming parts of the system to confuse users is.
Avira are only promising to have a compatible product for Q1 2013, but there's a {easonable chance of them getting their stuff fixed before then - even with the holiday season to get through.
And, probably, a security product monoculture would be a bad thing. Better if evil programmers have multiple systems in existence to challenge them.
IT infrastructure monitoring strategies
What you need to know about cloud backup
Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
Top 10 SIEM implementer’s checklist
Customer Success Testimonial: Recovery is Everything
