Avira 2015 offers optional Dropbox install, online product management
Avira has announced the arrival of its 2015 product line, including Avira Free Antivirus, Avira Antivirus Pro and Avira Internet Security.
The main highlight is a "superior" engine to improve PC protection, along with enhanced Android and iOS apps.
A new Free Antivirus setup process now provides the option to install Avira Browser Safety, Avira SafeSearch, and even Dropbox. We found this isn't as annoying as it sounds, though: these offers open in a separate window to the program installer, and if you're not interested then you can close this and dismiss them all with a click.
The 2015 product range is managed through Avira Online Essentials, a web dashboard which gives details of all your packages and devices, and allows you to install extra modules ("Browser Safety", "System Speedup", "Identity Safeguard" and Dropbox -- again).
There's nothing major here, then, but that's no surprise. In recent years Avira has been delivering new features throughout the year, rather than saving them up for a big step-change update, a more stable approach that's probably best for everyone.
What's probably more important is Avira's test performance, and that's still looking good, with the company ranking 5th out of 22 in AV-Comparatives September 2014 Real-World Protection Test. Right between Kaspersky and Bitdefender, in fact, and that's not a bad place to be.
Avira Free Antivirus, Avira Antivirus Pro and Avira Internet Security are available now.