First U.S. Monitoring Center to Track, Recover Stolen PCs

GAITHERSBURG, Md., and VANCOUVER, B.C., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin and Absolute Software today announced computer tracking and theft recovery services from Lockheed Martin to federal government and business clients using the industry-proven Computrace(R) security platform. The Lockheed Martin service will monitor PC assets, recover lost or stolen computers, and provide web-based PC-inventory updates and other reports to customers. Lockheed Martin is the first company to establish a U.S. monitoring center through the licensing of Absolute Software's security platform.

Based on the Computrace platform, an industry-leading solution with a proven track record in the recovery of missing computers, Lockheed Martin will operate the Monitoring Center from Lockheed Martin Mission Systems' secure facility in Gaithersburg. The system provides inexpensive and unobtrusive inventory and tracking of a company's computers, especially laptops that are traditionally difficult to manage. Web-based reports allow IT administrators to track where their computers are and what their status is, and more effectively plan for the rollout of software applications and operating systems.

The stealthy tracking agent is extremely difficult to delete without proper authorization, and survives most removal techniques including a hard drive reformat, disk repartition, and F-disk command. The computing asset tracking and theft recovery services will be offered for an annual monitoring fee of $50 per system; Government, quantity and multi-year discount purchases are also available.

How it works:

Once installed on a PC's hard drive, the software tracking agent silently transmits computer asset data over a phone line or internet connection to the Lockheed Martin Monitoring Center on a scheduled basis. System status information including originating phone number -- even those that are unlisted or blocked -- Internet Provider address, user name, email address, operating system, hard drive size, processor type and speed, is logged in a secure, online database which customers can view via web-based reports. In the event a computer is reported missing, it is flagged in the database. The next time the PC makes an Internet or phone connection, operators at the Monitoring Center report its location and work closely with law enforcement to recover the missing asset.

"Our government and business customers will benefit greatly from these services because they address a huge need and are very simple to use," said Terry Drabant, president, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems. "The service tracks and provides an up-to-date inventory of all computing assets online, benefiting both mobile users who travel frequently, and users of desktop PCs."

"This is the first time Absolute has licensed its turnkey solution, including our Monitoring Center, to a third party," said John Livingston, president and chief executive officer of Absolute. "We're excited about having Lockheed Martin, one of largest federal systems integrators, utilize the Computrace platform to deliver security services to the marketplace, and we look forward to supplying additional functionality that further improves our total PC security solution," he added.

Absolute Software has granted an exclusive three-year license to Lockheed Martin to operate the Monitoring Center for U.S. federal government agency customers, provided certain conditions have been met. In keeping with their business operations to date, Absolute and its resellers may still sell into this marketplace.

A leader in physical and information security, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems serves customers including U.S. and international defense, civil government and commercial agencies and organizations. Mission Systems is also a leader in mission critical systems integration and information operations, and employs approximately 2,600 at facilities in Gaithersburg, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Santa Maria, Calif., and is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services.

Absolute Software is a leading provider of PC tracking and security services to corporations -- including 10 of the Fortune 50 -- individuals, government agencies, and educational institutions. Absolute develops, markets and supports Computrace(R), which relies on patented Tracking Agent technology to deter theft, track PC location, retrieve stolen computers and monitor computer asset data. Founded in 1993, Absolute currently employs over 65 people and is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, with sales and marketing offices in Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

                    For additional information, visit:
                      http://www.lockheedmartin.com
                         http://www.absolute.com

To learn more about Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, visit the website at:
                    http://www.lmco.com/missionsystems

  Computrace(R) is a registered trademark of Absolute Software Corporation

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems