7Zip an Excellent Option

I am always on the lookout for software that is a good subsititute for commercial software. I have been using WinZip for years. I was introduced to 7-zip by a coworker and I have been very pleased with the performance and functionality.

Program: 7-Zip, version 4.65
Publisher: Igor Pavlov www.7-zip.org
Category: Compression Utility

You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial organization. You don't need to register or pay for 7-Zip.

The main features of 7-Zip:

• High compression ratio in new 7z format with LZMA
• Supported formats:  Packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR
• Unpacking only: ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, DEB, DMG, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MSI, NSIS, RAR, RPM, UDF, WIM, XAR and Z.
• For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
• Strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats
• Self-extracting capability for 7z format
• Integration with Windows Shell
• Powerful File Manager
• Powerful command line version
• Plugin for FAR Manager

I strongly recommend you try this software out and let me know what you think.  7z is free and works well for my needs.