Johannesburg, 24 Jan 2006
NetTrace, a leading provider of computer asset tracking solutions, reports that its Computrace (developed by Canadian-based Absolute Software) and Lease Manager product will now have embedded support in the BIOS firmware of Dell notebooks.
Models including the Dell Latitude D410, Latitude D510, Latitude D610, Latitude D810, Latitude X1, Latitude 110L, Latitude 120L, Precision M20, Precision M70, Inspiron 6000, Inspiron 9300, XPS M170, Inspiron 1300/130B, series notebooks.
Effective December 2005, customers with any of these computers will be able to upgrade to a new BIOS that has Computrace embedded support. The announcement is the most recent success stemming from Absolute Software (NetTrace`s principal) strategic initiative to be embedded in the BIOS of the world`s leading PC manufacturers.
The Computrace technology allows NetTrace to offer theft recovery and secure PC inventory and tracking services to large South African corporate companies. When a Computrace-enabled computer is connected to the Internet (over IP or telephone), the Computrace software sends a silent signal to a central monitoring centre server providing its IP address or phone number to identify its physical location. For network and security managers, the ability to know the physical location of all computer assets at any given time is imperative. If a computer is stolen, from an enterprise or an individual, NetTrace has the ability to both track down its physical location for recovery and to remotely delete sensitive data - the effectiveness of which is significantly enhanced when the Computrace software is embedded in the BIOS. This allows the product to persist after operating system reloads.
Absolute Software Canada chairman and CEO John Livingston said the agreement with Dell means that his 10-year-old company has now has technology agreements with four of the world`s top personal computer makers, Gateway (not offered in South Africa), IBM, HP and Dell. While the technology deals don`t generate sales directly for Absolute, they will make it easier to convince end-users to subscribe to Absolute`s Computrace service, Livingston said in an interview from San Francisco.
In order to activate the Computrace service, Dell corporate notebook PC customers can order the product so that it is included with new notebook purchases directly from the Dell Web site. This option is called custom factory integration and already enjoys good success in Europe and North America. Alternatively, corporate customers can contact NetTrace South Africa directly for more information.
Share