Grisoft, the Czech-based IT company that is famous (at least among enthusiasts) for their AVG Anti-Virus (which they allow home users to use completely free) and other security products, has recently had a lot of interest in them by Intel. To the tune of $16 Million USD, Intel Capital(Intel's investment firm), along with Enterprise Investors, will have a 65% share in the company, from a total $52 Million Investment. The official press release details the exchange and explains that this is for the future development of the company. Currently with over 25 million customers (free or otherwise), Grisoft is a lot more popular on desktop computers than one might think. This could be a double-edged sword. On one hand, deals like this in the past have caused companies that released wonderful software free of charge (Such as Sony) change their mind down the road and require payment. On the other hand, with enormous capital, development can be spurred along much faster, letting the company produce a much better product. In all likelihood, AVG will remain free, and thus we will see only the light side of this. It is encouraging to see big players like Intel investing in niche-market players like Grisoft.