NTT DoCoMo is cracking down on laptop theft by bringing the same remote delete functions offered on smartphones to the PC segment.
The carrier has teamed with Symantec, Intel and Ericsson to offer the ability to remotely lock-down or delete laptop hard drives, and plans to launch the service in April.
A Symantec spokeswoman told Telecoms Europe.net that DoCoMo estimates the security solution has an addressable market of 3.1 million laptops in Japan, based on the results of a government poll of almost 60 million employees that assessed the use of corporate laptops outside the office and the level of encrypted data stored on them.
Laptops equipped with Intel anti-theft technology and a 3G module from Ericsson are covered by the service, which will be capable of accessing machines even when they are turned off using a secure SMS.
Using wireless technology also means that machines stolen while users are abroad can also be wiped.
Intel PC Client services manager George Thangadurai described the solution as a “very robust security service,” that will assist “businesses of all sizes [to] protect their most precious asset: information.”