| Reference: | 875/2006 |
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| Author: | Simon Cobby |
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| Release Date: | 31/10/2006 |
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TRACEABLE COMPUTERS SPELL TROUBLE FOR WOULD-BE THIEVES
A new tracking system which can trace stolen computers will be launched at a Chatteris primary school next week.
Education ICT Service, a business unit of Cambridgeshire County Council has joined forces with Dell to install the software in a bid to reduce laptop thefts from the county’s schools.
Computrace is a theft protection service that tracks, locates and recovers stolen computers. Undetectable and irremovable software is installed and works behind the scenes to contact the Computrace Monitoring Centre and, if stolen, reports its location.
Education ICT and the Computrace Recovery Team then tracks the equipment and works with the police to retrieve it. High profile notices will be displayed at schools where the system is in operation.
It will be launched on Friday 3 November at 9.00am at Kingsfield Primary School in Chatteris, where computer equipment worth £11,000 was stolen last year.
Coun John Powley, Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said: “This is an exciting and innovative initiative which will be bad news for would-be computer thieves. The software is embedded, undetectable and non removable, and thieves need to understand that any IT equipment they steal could have this software installed without their knowledge. The theft of computers from schools holds up vital education for the county’s schoolchildren, so I am delighted that we have teamed up with Dell for this initiative. I hope it spells the end of computer theft from schools.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend the launch of Computrace at Kingsfield Primary School in Chatteris on Friday 3 November at 9.00am.
- For further information contact Simon Cobby in the Press Office on 01223 717627.
Email the Press Office