AVG market share grows locally

Issued by Exposure for Phoenix Distribution
Johannesburg, 18 Jul 2012

AVG, the international security software giant, has seen steady growth in the South African market, particularly in the retail sector. Most well-known for its free offering, AVG offers consumer products such as Internet Security, Anti-Virus and Mobilation for the protection of mobile devices, as well as a comprehensive range of products for small, medium, and large businesses.

The growth the company's products have seen in South African retail stores has pushed the brand to the second most popular in the security space overall, with 19% of the market.

"We are seeing tremendous growth in the uptake of AVG products, with retailers such as Incredible Connection reporting increasing sales month-on-month," says CEO of specialist security publisher and distributor Phoenix Distribution. "We believe this is the result of a growing appreciation of the value AVG offers, as well as our concerted push to grow the brand."

Phoenix Distribution's specialisation within the retail security software space has provided the company with the knowledge and expertise needed to enable this growth. Together with its retail partners, the company has taken AVG from less than 5% market share to 19% in just three years.

In addition, the company's channel division had been placing emphasis on growing AVG within the corporate space, with similarly good results. "It is vital to understand customers' accounts intricately. We leverage our knowledge of our customers, our understanding of the market, and a tailored, channel-specific partner programme to grow our vendor brands, and we are seeing exceptional growth in AVG market share as a result," says Campbell-Young.

In addition to the usual partner benefits, Phoenix Distribution SME resellers and value-added resellers (VARs) also get reseller-specific, customised training on the AVG products, onsite training and demonstrations, and presales consulting, scoping and advice. Combined, these benefits provide a winning combination for AVG, Phoenix Distribution, and its reseller base.

Phoenix Software

Phoenix Software, a division of the Phoenix Distribution group of businesses, is a focused software publishing and distribution business that is one of the leading suppliers of consumer-related IT software products through mass retail in sub-Saharan Africa. The company has a focused retail division, covering all major and mid-tier retail outlets across sub-Saharan Africa, as well as a focused small enterprise, SME and large-scale enterprise software division. In addition, Phoenix Software is a specialist volume licensing distributor and OEM partner for numerous vendors, creating bespoke software and accessory bundling for value-added promotions across the retail and business-to-business landscape.

Having recently celebrated its 10th year in business, the company has established itself as the industry partner of choice, with a wide range of products boasting a diversity of categories. Services offered include volume licensing on all leading brands, educational discounts, and retail distribution. Phoenix Software manages all services that assist customers with supply, namely inbound and outbound logistics, merchandising, training, marketing, publishing, key account management and market trends.

Phoenix Software's product range includes titles from leading vendors such as AVG, Ability, ArcSoft, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Exspect, Individual Software, ISLight, Kaspersky lab, Magix, Nero, Navigon, Pinnacle Systems, Propalms, Oregon Scientific, Roxio, UniBlue, Lavasoft, Sony Creative Software, TuneupUtilities, PineApp, Parallels, Rebit, NCH, Zemana, Zoner, StorageCraft and Large Software.

The Phoenix Distribution group has a global footprint, with strategic partnerships in the USA, Germany, France and Singapore. Phoenix Software is represented in the UK and Europe via a wholly-owned subsidiary, PX Software, and has branches in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Phoenix Distribution is 50.5% owned by First Technology Holdings, the largest privately owned IT company in Africa.

For more information, visit http://www.phoenixsoftware.co.za

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