System and Method for Securely Updating Remaining Time or Subscription Data for a Rental Computer

A information handling system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;
• a nonvolatile storage area accessible by at least one of the processors;
• a secure time-day module accessible by at least one of the processors;
• a network interface adapter connecting the information handling system to a computer network;
• and
• a set of instructions stored in the memory, wherein one or more of the processors executes the set of instructions in order to perform actions of:
• verifying installation of the secure time-day module in a information handling system, wherein the information handling system is rendered inoperable if the secure time-day module is not installed;
• retrieving a current time-day value from the secure time-day module and an end time-day value from a secure storage area;
• comparing the current time-day value to the end time-day value;
• determining whether a rental period has expired in response to the comparison;
• and
• preventing use of the information handling system in response to determining that the rental period has expired.

A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by a data processing system, causes the data processing system to perform actions that include:

• verifying installation of a secure time-day module in a computer system, wherein the computer system is rendered inoperable if the secure time-day module is not installed;
• retrieving a current time-day value from the secure time-day module and an end time-day value from a secure storage area;
• comparing the current time-day value to the end time-day value;
• determining whether a rental period has expired in response to the comparison;
• and
• preventing use of the computer system in response to determining that the rental period has expired.