AVG Sends Speedy Small Business Security Signal

New Internet security and anti-virus products for small businesses from AVG are being touted by the company as both secure and speedy, with an array of promised features and administrative tools that address some of the tech-challenges smaller firms face.AVG's just-announced Internet Security Business Edition 9.0 and AVG Anti-Virus Business Edition 9.0 are described by the company as leveraging the speed, ease-of-use, and protection levels of its consumer products, tuned and configured for small businesses.

This strikes me as a sound move. Particularly with the products being packaged in incremental five-seat configurations, smaller businesses seem to be the ones AVG is targeting.

And that's where consumer-level ease-of-use can be most useful. As smaller businesses wrestle with the economy -- along with everything else small businesses wrestle with even in good times -- the temptation is to cut technical help and support, and undertake to "do it themselves."

Problem is that most of the small businesses I know (companies with 15 or fewer employees) get most if not all of their in-house tech skills from hands-on experience, much of it with consumer products.

The new releases' administrative tools include customization, automatic updates, and -- a nice touch -- a Linux-based rescue CD.

While pushing the speed increase, and decrease in required system resources its Internet Security product requires, AVG also emphasizes its new release's data protection capabilities. Adapting technologies from its acquisition of Sana , the new release includes identity protection, as well as scans for anomalous network behavior.

Pricing looks pretty competitive for the market, with one-year, five seat licenses launching at:

AVG Internet Security Business Edition 9.0 $247.99

AVG Anti-Virus Business Edition 9.0 US $159.99.

For smaller businesses, these might be well worth a look.