40 MacDirectory
COMPANY PROFILE
ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE >
COVERING YOUR ASSETS IS AN ABSOLUTE SNAP
When computers first came into being,
the thought of protecting them consisted
of insurance policies covering only device
damage or loss. Then along came the
1990s and identity theft, and suddenly it
seemed much more important to protect
what was on the computer than the
computer itself.
Enter the 21
st
century, when computing
devices have become as commonplace as
cellphones, and just as diverse and
personal. In this climate both the data
and
the device are equally important, yet a lot
of companies can only protect one or the
other. Fortunately, Absolute Software is
not a lot of companies.
Absolute Software is a
unique company that has been in business
for nearly 20 years. Specializing in cutting-
edge "technology and services for the
management and security of mobile
computers, netbooks, and smartphones,"
they also work extensively with law
enforcement to not only track stolen
devices, but to protect device content.
Recently
MacDirectory spoke with Mark
Grace, vice president of consumer
business at Absolute Software, who
described Absolute's work with law
enforcement as "(One of the) secret(s)
behind our success. That relationship has
enabled us to own this category."
"Own" is a strong word, but in this case,
it's very applicable. Grace told us how,
recently, a police chief from South
Carolina took a "foot high" stack of
testimonials about Computrace LoJack
for Laptops to a presentation he was
giving to students at Georgia Tech. His
presentation, which ended with the strong
recommendation that the students get
LoJack for Laptops for themselves, was a
smashing success.
Police departments in Europe meanwhile,
are some of Absolute's biggest customers,
personally purchasing LoJack for Laptops
for incoming freshmen at several of their
public universities.
One of the guiding forces behind Absolute
Software's relationship with law
enforcement personnel is Absolute's ability
to provide something that a lot of other
companies offering "similar" products
cannot; follow up.
Says Grace, "Our product is unique
because of how we track the system
through IP. There are a lot of people who
can track your product with GPS, or take
pictures of the thief or send messages to
the thief. But law enforcement is not
involved with any of those, and we don't
want average citizens out there
trying to track down the person
who took their laptop. We have
a team of former law
enforcement personnel, and
(through them) we do a lot of
work (for law enforcement). We
do a lot of the forensics, a lot of
the paper work. And when we
can take all of this to the police
department and show them
that we've already laid a lot of
the groundwork they really
appreciate that."
Grace talked proudly of how, in
some cases, Absolute's work
has helped the police to close
even larger crimes "like
breaking up theft rings. That's a
huge power to have."
Grace also told
MacDirectory
about the special place Apple customers
occupy with his company. "Apple has been
a tremendous partner for us. We're
consistently one of the top selling
software in the (Apple) stores and online.
The amount of Apple and MacBook
recovery we do is amazing."
In addition, Grace credited Apple users
with being some of the impetus behind
Absolute's focus on recovering devices as
well as data, "Mac users want the asset
back. That is a personal piece, a stylish
part of their being."
With an impressive recovery rate of three
out of four stolen computers (and
climbing), increasing popularity in Apple
stores both in the United States and
abroad, and a new premium package that
offers the ability for data to be deleted
from stolen laptops in a matter of
seconds, it is obvious that Absolute
Software is going to continue to "own"
the field of device and data protection
well into the next century.
For more information about Absolute
Software, including LoJack for Laptops
(Premium and Standard Edition), check
out your nearest Apple Store, or order it
directly from .
WORDS BY JONE DEVLIN
