Hi Michael
Since I first saw you’re post the situation you describe has become more and more intriguing to me. What about all the other software that communicates via the internet? Browsers, MS Office, CRM, accounting packages? Does your boss insist that they all be blocked?
Of the businesses I’m involved with, none have ever requested that avast! or any other product for which a large part of it’s role is to protect the PC from internet-borne threats, be prevented from communicating in such a manner, especially when that application depends on net access for updates.