Ericsson, Intel collaborate on laptop remote kill switch

Intel and Ericsson are teaming up to protect lost or stolen laptops with remote kill switches that render them useless via SMS. Specifically, the two companies are collaborating to make Ericsson's mobile broadband modules – which add built-in support for HSPA to laptops – interoperable with Intel's Anti-Theft PC Protection Technology part of the Intel Centrino 2 with vPro package.

This is similar to what Lenovo announced late last month – sending a text message will lock down the machine by blocking the boot process and presumably trigger a self encrypting drive to protect the computer’s data, with an unlock code bringing the system back to life again. However, Ericsson is making it much more useful by adding the ability to track the stolen machine through GPS. The companies say the first laptops fitted with the technology could start appearing in the middle of 2009.