Q. How long does it take to do the etching? A. The application of the etched image takes about 15 seconds... and it's permanent. Q. Does the etch work equally as well on dark as well as light colored computers? A. The bright blue color is much more visible on lighter colored computers due to the contrast; however, the etch is still visible on the darker computers. Q. Why should we use the ID-GARD World Wide Data Base Tracking System? A. In the event that an etched unit is lost, all a person need do is to key in our World Wide Data Base website, or call our Free 800 number to determine the owner of the property. Our phones as well as our website are monitored 24/7/365 by professional people who know exactly how to react to the inquiry. Q. Should the customer have their own telephone number etched in place of ID-GARD's, as a replacement for the ID-GARD World Wide Data Base Tracking System? A. NO... why have additional personnel just to manage a database and maintain monitoring equipment every hour of every day. THAT'S OUR JOB... Q. Why can't I just keep my own internal inventory records? A. INTERNAL CONTROL often is as good as NO CONTROL at all. We maintain "off site" inventory records that are absolutely tamper proof. These records can be used to verify your own internal records, as we semi-annually Fed-Ex a copy of those records to you. We are currently working on a new system upgrade, which will allow our clients REAL-TIME ACCESS to their records on-line by logging into our World Wide Database at any time using their "ID and Password". Q. Are coordinated bar code and PIN# systems available? A. YES... We can provide bar codes that are coordinated with the etching PIN#. You can also have your company name and telephone number on the bar code if you wish. Q. Why shouldn't I use bar code labels or serial numbers to track and protect my equipment from loss? A. FIRST - duplicate numbers. SECOND - they are not permanent. THIRD - even if scanned, there is no guarantee that the labels are on the correct unit, or for that matter, if the label is on any unit at all. REMEMBER - INTERNAL CONTROLS ARE AS ARE GOOD AS NO CONTROL! Manufacturer's serial numbers, unlike automobile VIN# that are tracked in a NCIC database, are most likely duplicated among manufacturers, and they don't know who owns the equipment, only what retail outlet it was shipped to.