Absolute and HP Expand Availability of Computrace Solutions for HP Care Pack Services

Vancouver, Canada: November 3, 2009 – Absolute® Software Corporation (“Absolute” or the “Company”) (TSX: ABT), the leading provider of firmware-based, patented, computer theft recovery, data protection and secure IT asset management solutions announces that HP® customers can now purchase a full range of Absolute Computrace® solutions as part of HP Care Pack services.

Computrace solutions, which include computer theft recovery, remote data delete and IT asset management capabilities, will be provided as a part of the HP support offerings aimed at commercial class customers and sold by HP and its resellers. HP Care Pack services can be purchased along with HP products as an optional service uplift to a standard warranty. For many post-warranty products, HP Care Pack Services are also available when an original warranty has expired.

“Regardless of the size of an organization, computers often contain sensitive data which could have serious consequences for a business if it were to fall in to the wrong hands,” said Carter McCrary, Chief Operating Officer at Absolute Software. “By expanding the availability of Computrace solutions as part of the HP Care Pack program, we are making it easier for businesses of all types and sizes to purchase IT asset management, data protection and computer theft recovery services from a familiar, trusted provider.”

How Computrace Works

The Computrace Software Agent that powers Absolute’s solutions is embedded in the firmware of computers from the world’s leading computer manufacturers right at the factory or it can be easily installed by the customer.* The Agent is activated by customers when they purchase a subscription with terms ranging from one to four years.

The Agent regularly contacts the Absolute Monitoring Center – sending location and IT asset management information to the Absolute Customer Center portal. Customers log in to the Absolute Customer Center to access that information, manage their IT asset population, run reports, remotely delete data and plot the location of their computers and mobile devices on a map.

If a computer is reported stolen by a customer, the Absolute Theft Recovery Team will forensically mine it using a variety of procedures including key captures, registry scanning, file scanning, geolocation, and other investigative techniques to determine who has the computer and how it is being used. Absolute then works with local law enforcement to help recover the computer. Embedded in the firmware of a computer, the stealthy Computrace Agent is capable of surviving operating system re-installations, as well as hard-drive reformats, replacements and re-imaging. 

Availability

HP Care Pack services will expand its offering of Computrace solutions, beginning with the inclusion of Computrace Complete in North America and Computrace One and Computrace for Netbooks Standard in Latin America.