Johannesburg, 23 Nov 2005
NetTrace, a leading provider of computer theft recovery and secure PC asset tracking solutions, reports that its Computrace (developed by Canadian-based Absolute Software) and Lease Manager product will have embedded support in the BIOS firmware of new commercial notebooks from HP, including the HP Compaq 8200, 6200, 4200 and 6100 series notebook PCs.
Effective 15 October 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 PSTN), 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 Computracesoftware is embedded in the BIOS. This allows the product to persist after operating system reloads.
"HP`s integration of support for Computrace into the BIOS further validates Absolute`s leadership position in driving the de facto standard for computer theft recovery and secure asset tracking," said John Livingston, chairman and CEO of Absolute Software.
"With this announcement, HP customers now have the best anti-theft protection on the market as well as secure asset tracking to help address the many regulatory compliance issues facing corporate customers today."
In order to activate the Computrace service, HP commercial notebook PC customers will need to purchase a service subscription from NetTrace South Africa and must contact the company directly to activate the service. In the event a computer is stolen, NetTrace works with local law enforcement to recover the computer and can remotely delete sensitive data from the stolen computer when data privacy is a concern.
Share