Absolute Computrace has Helped Detroit Public Schools Recover Nearly 400 Laptops Since 2009
Vancouver, Canada: December 14, 2011 – Absolute® Software Corporation (“Absolute” or the “Company”) (TSX: ABT), the leading provider of firmware-embedded endpoint security and management solutions, has identified one of their largest education customers, Detroit Public Schools (DPS), as a national leader in using secure asset tracking software to help recover stolen educational technology equipment.
DPS was instrumental in successfully uncovering, dismantling, and prosecuting an organized crime ring with the help of Absolute Software’s Computrace® technology. As a result, police informed DPS that eight of the ten suspects charged with multiple crimes from several DPS schools have pleaded guilty, with two awaiting prosecution. The total value of stolen technology was over $150,000.
“We rely heavily on Absolute Computrace and its accurate tracking technology – which helped us recover nearly 400 laptops in the past two and a half years,” stated Wilbert V. Marsh, DPS Inspector General. “By knowing where these devices are, we are able to effectively enforce software policies, and protect any sensitive data if the device is lost or stolen. The persistent technology of Absolute Computrace allows it to rebuild itself and continue to operate even if a thief attempted to remove it from the computer. This reassures law enforcement that the tool will always be active. With our extremely high success rate, we will continue using this tracking tool.”
“The mobility of laptops within a school district definitely raises security and management issues for IT administrators,” says Ward Clapham, Vice President of Investigative and Recovery Services at Absolute. “Absolute Computrace equips IT and law enforcement with the right tracking tools to gain full visibility into their IT environment, including the whereabouts and status of their computers.”
How Computrace Technology Works
Computrace and LoJack® for Laptops are powered by the Absolute Software patented Computrace persistence technology. When embedded in the firmware of computers from leading computer manufacturers*, Computrace can survive operating system re-installations, as well as hard-drive reformats, replacements and re-imaging, helping to ensure that the service is there when you need it most. Whether a PC or Mac, the software is virtually undetectable and phones home to the Absolute Monitoring Center with location and asset information. If a computer is reported stolen, the Absolute Theft Recovery Team works on behalf of the customer to gather evidence from the computer to identify the thief’s location, and then works with local police to get the computer back. Customers can also remotely delete data to help keep it out of the hands of unauthorized users – a reliable contingency in case data protection solutions fail. Computrace or LoJack for Laptops can be easily activated by customers when they install a license ranging from 1-3 years.
*For a list of computers with firmware-embedded Computrace technology, visit www.absolute.com.