A Vancouver, B.C.-based provider of a mobile asset management suite just added geolocation tracking so that GPS-enabled laptops can be managed in the field.
The offering by Absolute Software Corp. means that IT admins can track laptops to within 10 metres (33 feet) and view reports on their location using Google Maps.
The technology relies on embedded GPS receivers to gather latitude and longitude information from remote devices.
Technologies like Qualcomm Inc.’s Gobi initiative is pushing GPS tracking in computing devices, according to Absolute CEO John Livingston, who said that users “can now see where their assets are, find them more easily and assist in the earlier detection of missing computers.”
The Absolute offering also means the visual nature of reports provides users the ability to actually plot on a map the whereabouts of devices. And, in the event a laptop does go missing, then the company’s theft recovery team can use the GPS tracking information that’s been gathered.
