SUPERAntiSpyware Acquired By Support.com

Martin Brinkmann
Jun 19, 2011
Updated • Dec 10, 2012
Security
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We have reviewed both the free and professional version of the popular malware remover SUPERAntiSpyware here at Ghacks. Many users find the free version sufficient for all related tasks, while fewer find it necessary to upgrade to the professional version for extra features such as threat realtime blocking or daily definition updates. Most have used the program in addition to traditional antivirus solutions, and especially in cases where other security software have failed to resolve issues on a system. In short: It is one of those software programs that are handy to have in reach when traditional security solutions fail.

The acquisition announcement on the SUPERAntiSpyware website may have come as a shock to many long time users of the free or paid version of the application.

Information are scarce at this point in time, the only useful bits from the announcement are that the whole team will join support.com in the near future. The post mentions that "some things will change" but does not go into details what those things might be. The press release at support.com includes additional information.

Support.com has paid $8.5 million in cash for SUPERAntiSpyware and plans to "expand SUPERAntiSpyware's business with increased distribution and product enhancements".

When you look at support.com's offerings you will note that they provide tech support to consumers and businesses alike. Services include one-time fixed prices for support requests, or subscriptions plans for round the clock PC support.

Services include installing hardware, troubleshooting computer problems or removing viruses and spyware. SUPERAntiSpyware will be added to the list of programs the company offers directly to consumers and small businesses.

But what about the free version of the software? Will it still be around after the acquisition? According to SUPERAntiSpyware founder Nick Skrepetos it will.

Of course we will honor lifetime licenses and the free edition isn't going away

So, users who have a lifetime license will keep their licenses and will continue to get updates, and free users will still get access to a free version of the application.

I'd give the company the benefit of the doubt, but we have seen acquisitions in the past were promises were made but not kept. Lets hope that this is not one of those cases.

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Comments

  1. kalmly said on June 20, 2011 at 3:30 pm
    Reply

    These acquisitions seldom work out well for users/customers. I’ve used this app for a long time. I expect to be uninstalling soon. Please – prove me wrong.

  2. milithruldur said on June 20, 2011 at 8:15 am
    Reply

    “Lets hope that this is not one of those cases.” – Amen to that. Acquisitons most of the times give an uneasy feeling over users who have been with the service for quite some time. I hope in time this acquisition proves for the betterment of the program, as it has been a great anti-spyware utility.

    /m

  3. joeschmoe said on June 20, 2011 at 6:40 am
    Reply

    The main problem is that the word of Nick Skrepetos cannot be trusted, so only time will tell whether or not the lifetime licenses of SAS will be honored. Take a look at the SAS sister product SuperAdBlocker at superadblocker.com. That product has a lifetime license but has not had an update in years even though Skrepetos has promised updates and upgrades for the past several years. There was a short lived beta project for SAB but that has been abandoned the last year and a half or so. Prior to the beta being launched there were the usual promises of Skrepetos that the product would be actively updated/upgraded. When people complain about no upgrades or updates in the user forum of SAB (at the SAS forum site) the posts are usually deleted. Yet the SAB product remains for sale. It is not unusual for threads regarding SAS or SAB at Wilderssecurity to end up being closed because of the negativity attached to the continued promotion and sale of the dead SAB product.

  4. Will said on June 20, 2011 at 12:13 am
    Reply

    Ugh, I bet by 2013 it will no longer exist in a freeware form, if it at all!!

  5. dwarf_t0ssn said on June 20, 2011 at 12:07 am
    Reply

    When Checkpoint acquired and ruined Zonealarm it drove me to discover Comodo firewall. :)

  6. Haakon said on June 19, 2011 at 8:12 pm
    Reply

    Hmmmm. Malwarebytes, clearly SAS’s primary competitor, is a Support dot com partner. I wonder how that’s gonna play out.

  7. Robert Palmar said on June 19, 2011 at 7:28 pm
    Reply

    The SUPERAntiSpyware founder no longer has controlling interest.
    While his intent at the moment sounds noble it carries little weight.
    Often in these acquisitions original owners are executives for
    a time then their influence wains to new management.

    SUPERAntiSpyware is a great tool and the free
    version is the ideal standalone scanner
    to find and remove spyware.

    Time will tell if it remains so.

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