Security | FETC 2013 News

Absolute Software Demos K-12 Product Suite at FETC

• By Leila Meyer
• 01/29/13

Absolute Software, a provider of persistent endpoint security, management, and service solutions for computer, tablet, and smartphone devices, is at the Florida Education Technology Conference (FETC) in Orlando, FL this week to demonstrate its suite of products for K-12 schools.

According to Absolute Software, its security, management, and help desk products help schools secure devices, comply with bond requirements, provide a well managed student learning experience, and respond to incidents efficiently.

The product suite includes:

• Absolute Computrace, which tracks and secures devices from a single cloud-based console;
• Absolute Manage, which securely manages PCs, Macs, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices from a single console; and
• Absolute Service Help Desk, an automated cloud-based or on-premise help desk solution.

Absolute Computrace enables schools to track, locate, and secure their IT assets to help prevent thefts and recover stolen devices. The software's persistence technology continues to operate even if a thief attempts to remove it from the device.

According to the company, public schools were the top location for device thefts among its customer base, and its theft management services have reduced theft rates to less than one percent from rates as high as nine percent. Detroit Public Schools used Computrace to help recover nearly 400 stolen laptops in the last two and a half years, leading to the prosecution of a gang that was targeting the school district.

Absolute Manage is an endpoint management system that supports most popular device platforms from a single console. The company claims that it's "the only true cross-platform management solution on the market."

Absolute Manage also includes power management capabilities to help schools qualify for government energy rebates. According to the company, Bensalem Township School District in Bucks County, PA used the software to reduce its computer energy consumption by 79 percent, saving approximately $53,000 a year.

Absolute Service Help Desk is available as a cloud-based or on-premise solution. It's integrated with Absolute Manage, which provides asset discover services to help IT staff get the information they need about the devices they support. According to the company, the School District of Philadelphia used Absolute Service to help its 100 technicians reduce incident volumes and improve service management processes.

Further information about these products is available on the Absolute Software site.