Computrace Core Technology The Computrace^® Agent is a small software client that can be embedded into the BIOS firmware “at the factory”, or installed like most software applications onto the hard drive of a computer. When embedded in the BIOS of computers by major OEMs, such as Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Motion Computing, Panasonic and Toshiba, the Computrace Agent can survive operating system re-installations, hard drive reformats and even hard drive replacements.

The ability to withstand these changes is critical in order to survive unauthorized removal attempts as well as work seamlessly with customers' break/fix and IMAC (Install/Move/Add/Change) processes.

Here's How It Works

The Computrace application is loaded on the hard drive of a computer while support for the Computrace agent is embedded in the BIOS or firmware. If the hard drive is reformatted or replaced, the Computrace Agent support in the BIOS rebuilds the necessary application files on the hard drive as required by the customer.

The Computrace Technology Platform is the client/server architecture that delivers Absolute Software’s Computer Theft Recovery, Data Protection and Secure Asset Tracking™ services. Thanks to the hands-free communication (over IP or PSTN) between the secure, patented Computrace Agent client and the Monitoring Center server, Absolute’s security services are exceptionally easy to manage on all computers across the enterprise.

Systems Supported

Computrace is supported on 32-bit versions of Windows 2000, XP, Windows Server 2003 and all 32 and 64 bit editions of Windows Vista. Computrace is also supported on the following Apple platforms; Mac OSX 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5.

What Makes the Computrace Technology Platform Unique

The Computrace Agent distinguishes Absolute’s services from competitive solutions in a number of ways, and offers customers many advantages over conventional computer tracking mechanisms and larger enterprise asset management applications:

Automatic & Reliable: Easy to install and unobtrusive to the end-user, the Agent runs silently and automatically and is difficult to accidentally or deliberately delete.

Secure Communications: Because the Agent initiates the connection to the Monitoring Center, it is inherently more secure than conventional auto-discovery mechanisms and does not rely on an open and listening port that could potentially render systems vulnerable to hackers. As well, communication is TCP-based and always encrypted.

Small Footprint & Low Bandwidth: The Agent itself occupies a small amount of memory when idle. When placing a call, the Agent optimizes data transfer, which means a very low demand is placed on the network.

Easy Installation: The Agent can be installed seamlessly on a corporate image, centrally deployed over a LAN, or even pre-installed at the factory by OEM partners. Once installed, the Agent simply needs an Internet or phone connection to communicate with the Monitoring Center; no user intervention is required.

Frequent, Scheduled Calls: The “always on” Agent calls frequently on a scheduled basis over IP and dial-up connections, without requiring any action from system users. With accurate, up-to-date computer information at their fingertips, customers can proactively implement their security and asset tracking practices for company-wide compliance.

Scalable: Once the client, or Agent, is installed, updates need only be done on the server side to enable various services. This allows other products and services offered by Absolute Software to be “turned on” quickly and easily, without a cumbersome rollout of client software.

Persistence: Easy to install and unobtrusive to the end-user, the Computrace Agent, or software client, runs silently and automatically and is virtually impossible for an unauthorized user to accidentally or deliberately delete. Most Computer manufacturers also provide embedded support for Computrace in the BIOS or Firmware of the notebook computer. This ensures that if the Computrace agent gets altered or removed from the hard drive by an unauthorized user, the embedded support module will rebuild the Computrace Agent application on the drive. We call this rebuilding feature ‘persistence’ and it ensures that our customer, the rightful owner of the computer, will have the fullest opportunity to make contact with the computer after it has been compromised and left the customer’s traditional sphere of control. Ultimately the persistent feature is critically important for Absolute to be able to recover and return a stolen computer to its rightful owner.

Computrace Embedded BIOS Support

Click here for all computers with Computrace embedded support in the BIOS.

Persistence Ensures Effectiveness

Employing a self-healing technology referred to as “persistence”, the Computrace BIOS-module essentially rebuilds the Agent software even if the service is deleted. The Computrace Agent is designed to be removed only by an authorized user with the correct password. This self-healing feature will repair a Computrace installation in newly formatted and installed operating systems as well as freshly imaged systems. To ensure the Computrace Agent remains invisible to an unauthorized user, Computrace is very difficult to detect, as it runs as a non-descript service, and is not listed as an application. As well, the product does not show up on the programs menu list or as a system tray icon.

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