Netwon, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/15/2010 -- Peace of mind means everything to the customers of Holmes Security Systems. From burglar and fire alarms to comprehensive monitoring services, Holmes wields a wide array of resources and expertise to protect their customers.

So it’s not surprising that the Fayetteville, N.C. –based company puts a high degree of importance on their choice of network security software. Their anti-virus protection had to live up to their own high security standards.

“We couldn’t afford to risk our customers’ protection,” said Duncan Hubbard, Holmes Security Systems operations manager. “Our reputation is based on our ability to protect our customers, so we absolutely had to have anti-virus software that would protect our systems.”

Tough security without breaking the bank

The company had been using Symantec’s network anti-virus protection and, while the protection was acceptable, the price of keeping the software up to date was eating a big hole in the budget. As Holmes approached the end of their licensing agreement with Symantec, Hubbard began looking for a more cost effective solution to the company's anti-virus needs.

“Several things stuck out about AVG,” said Hubbard. “One of our biggest customers uses their anti-virus to protect their network and it made sense for us to take a closer look at how well it would work for us. I use AVG’s free product on my home computer, so I was already confident about its technology – I just needed to make sure the network product lived up to the same high standard.”

Great pricing and local service

When it came to finding a reseller to supply the AVG license, Holmes Security Systems did not have to look far. The company is proud of its North Carolina roots and liked the fact that North America’s longest-standing and highest-volume distributor of AVG products, Walling Data, is located in Hickory, NC - just a few hours away.

“The proximity of Walling Data to our headquarters made me feel comfortable that, in the event of a catastrophic IT emergency, I could personally meet with Walling's product support team,” said Hubbard.

Because Walling Data provide all their customers free, unlimited, U.S.-based pre- and post-sales support, Hubbard was able to call on the support team several times when he had questions during installation.

Added Hubbard “Finally, AVG’s price was far and away the best value. With AVG Anti-Virus, we saved more than 50 percent per license compared to Symantec.”

AVG – Greater protection , less down time

“AVG used far less memory than Symantec when scanning our computers for viruses,” said Hubbard.

“Computers using Symantec tended to exhibit a noticeable difference in performance when anti-virus scans were taking place. Performance can’t take a backseat to security.”

Hubbard also noticed that AVG makes frequent updates to protect against the latest computer virus threats. “Symantec, on the other hand, had more sporadic virus updates so I didn’t feel as protected as we are now with AVG.”

For more information about how to purchase AVG Anti-Virus and other fine security products from Walling Data, visit http://www.wallingdata.com.

About Walling Data
North Carolina-based Walling Data, North America’s leader in security software distribution, is the nation’s first and highest volume distributor of both AVG Internet Security and avast! Internet Security products. It is widely recognized for providing unlimited, expert, US-based technical support services at no additional charge for its base of more than 100,000 reseller and end user customers.

The company was founded in 1994 by Luke Walling. Learn more about Walling Data's distribution capabilities for your product line, or become a customer at http://www.wallingdata.com.

Learn more about AVG Internet Security products at http://www.avgantivirus.com.

About AVG Technologies
AVG is a global security solutions leader protecting more than 110 million consumers and small business computer users in 167 countries from the ever-growing incidence of web threats, viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers on the Internet. Headquartered in Amsterdam, AVG has nearly two decades of experience in combating cyber crime and one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world. Its free online, downloadable software model allows entry-level users to gain basic anti-virus protection and then to easily and inexpensively upgrade to greater levels of safety and defense in both single and multi-user environments. Nearly 6,000 resellers, partners and distributors team with AVG globally including Amazon.com, CNET, Cisco, Ingram Micro, Play.com, Wal-Mart, and Yahoo!. More information at http://www.avg.com.

About Holmes Electric Security Systems
Holmes Security Systems is a division of Holmes Electric, Inc., a 102-year-old company founded in Fayetteville, North Carolina, by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. The security division was started by Mr. J.D. (Luke) Wheeler, son-in-law of Mr. Holmes, in 1967. Today it is operated by his son, Stephen Holmes Wheeler, grandson of the late O.W. Holmes, Sr.

Since its inception in 1967, the security systems division of the company has grown to become the area’s leader in security sales and central station monitoring. Holmes Security Systems is the only U.L Approved installation company in Eastern N.C. owning and operating a U.L. Approved Central Monitoring Station.

With offices in Fayetteville, N.C. & Wilmington, N.C. the company offers a wide variety of security and fire alarms for commercial and residential applications.