avast! 7 offers near-continous updates

AVAST Software has released the final builds of its avast! 7 Free, Pro Antivirus and Internet Security packages, each of which include some interesting and welcome new features.

The first you’re likely to notice is the ability to install the programs in Compatibility Mode, which aims to ensure that you can run them alongside other security tools. We’ve yet to test this to see how well it works, but any attempt to address these conflicts is a step in the right direction.

Another sensible addition is the move to streaming, cloud-based updates. No longer will the program wait for a few hours before downloading the latest virus definitions in one large block; instead your database will receive smaller updates all the time, just as and when they appear.

And a new Remote Assistance tool allows you to get remote support from any knowledgeable avast!-using friend who’s willing to help you, which could be handy if you find you can’t solve a particularly tricky PC problem on your own.

Other new features are more about catching up with the competition. There’s nothing new about avast! 7′s file reputation system, for instance, where the program uses data on (for instance) how many people have a file and how new it is to make more intelligent decisions when scanning. But it’s still a welcome addition to the program.

All these new features are available in every avast! 7 package, including the Free version. But of course there are plenty of other improvements across the range, including enhanced sandboxing, better browsing protection (now with new support for Safari), and a revamped interface, while a new web-based AVAST Management Portal makes useful details on your avast! installation accessible from anywhere.

It’ll take some time to see how these new features work in practice, but on first impressions avast! 7 is looking good to us. If you agree and would like to find out more for yourself, then avast! 7 Free and the trial edition of avast! 7 Internet Security are available now.

Photo Credit:  Inq/Shutterstock