Seagate adds encryption to laptops

Seagate has signed its first manufacturing deal to sell laptop computers with encrypted hard drives. 

California-based ASI Computer Technologies will begin selling laptops with hard drives that automatically encrypt data from April. 

The technology could stop sensitive company information falling into the wrong hands, potentially saving firms millions in regulator fines.  

The ASI C8015 will feature Seagate's 80GB Momentus 5400 FDE.2 drive, which offers hardware-based full-disk encryption using the firm's DriveTrust technology.

"Personal and company data is protected from unauthorised access, whether a hard drive or system is stolen, retired or sold," said a Seagate statement.

The laptop will also include a fingerprint scanner, Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile 2GHz processor, 256MB Nvidia graphics chip, 1GB Ram, DVD rewriter and 15.4in screen.

The ASI C8015 will be sold for $2,150 (around £1,100) through ASI's channel partners, such as Newegg and Power Notebooks. 

Seagate said it expected to announce further deals with other worldwide resellers later this year.