Absolute Software

Absolute Software Corporation develops, markets, and provides software services that support the management and security of computing devices, applications, data, and networks for various organizations. 

The company's Absolute platform offers Absolute Visibility which provides information on device hardware, software, and location; Absolute Control which provides remediation capabilities, such as the ability to remotely freeze devices and delete data; Absolute Resilience, which offers remote scripting, self-healing for critical apps, investigation and recovery services, and sensitive data identification; Absolute Ransomware Response that enables organizations to assess their ransomware preparedness for endpoints, monitors their endpoint cyber hygiene across the entire device fleet and allows for an expedited endpoint recovery; Absolute VPN an enterprise solution; Absolute ZTNA that protects networks and employees with real-time risk analysis; and Absolute Insights for Network provides real-time data about device, application, and network performance in a single pane of glass. 

The company markets its solutions through device original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and value-added resellers, as well as directly to healthcare organizations, educational institutions, governmental agencies, and individual consumers. It operates in North America, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Latin America. Absolute Software Corporation was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Founded in 1993 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Absolute developed a product to manage, track and secure computers regardless of the physical location of devices. In 2000, Absolute became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

In 2005, Persistence technology by Absolute was embedded for the first time into the firmware or BIOS of a computer. This was the start of an ongoing partnership with most major original equipment manufacturers where Absolute technology ships with the hardware from the factory.

Absolute's office in Europe was first established in November 2006, in Newbury, UK. In July 2009, a second regional office was opened in Austin, Texas, to serve as a base for Absolute's U.S.-based sales team. In 2007, Microsoft awarded Absolute gold certified partner status in the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem, In December 2009, Absolute announced its acquisition of the LANrev product suite, a computer systems management software application, from Pole Position Software. Following the acquisition, the product suite was rebranded as Absolute Asset Management, and eventually renamed Absolute Manage.

In November 2012, Absolute acquired the assets of LiveTime Software, a privately held helpdesk and IT Service Support Management provider. LiveTime assets were officially relaunched as part of Absolute's expanded product suite in January 2013 as Absolute Service, an IT Service Management tool. Absolute Service received PinkVERIFY ITIL 3 Certification from Pink Elephant. Absolute was listed in the Gartner Inc. Magic Quadrant for client management tools from 2012 to 2014 and was positioned in the Niche quadrants of the Magic Quadrant for Mobile Device Management Software and the Magic Quadrant for Content-Aware Data Loss Prevention in 2013. In June 2013, Absolute acquired Palisade Systems, a privately-held provider of data loss prevention technologies. In October 2013, Absolute launched a student and device protection initiative called Absolute Safe Schools, which educates students and staff of participating schools on the safe use of mobile devices and provides assistance in the event of device loss and theft. 

In December 2013, John Livingston stepped down as chief executive officer and as a member of the board of directors at Absolute. On June 13, 2014, Geoff Haydon was appointed CEO and director. Absolute renamed Computrace to Data and Device Security and refocused its business model in 2015. The company sold its Absolute Manage and Absolute Service products to HEAT Software in October 2015. On November 2, 2018, Christy Wyatt was appointed CEO and director. She was named “New CEO of the Year” by the Globe and Mail in 2020. Business and technology news organizations have interviewed Wyatt on cyber security topics including ransomware, the zero trust security model, and the trend toward remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, Absolute was listed by Forbes in a list of cybersecurity companies. Absolute acquired NetMotion Software, a private company specializing in network security and virtual private networks, in 2021.

“To offer uncompromised visibility and near real-time remediation of security breaches at the source.”

“We are committed to advancing the state of endpoint security with Persistence as the foundation.”