Sprint Offers Ability to Track, Monitor & Remotely Lock Devices

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/sprint-to-offer-remote-tracking-data-deletion-024122.php' target='_blank'>http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/spr...tion-024122.php</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20041025_sprintlock.jpg" /> <br /><br /><i>"Sprint has announced a new "managed mobility" package that will allow companies to track and monitor large groups of wireless devices, including the ability to upgrade software remotely over the network. Even more useful is the ability to remotely lock down lost or stolen devices, preventing access to sensitive information that might be stored inside. "</i><br /><br />I don't know about you, but I get a little nervous when I hear the words "track" and "monitor" from a cell phone company. True, it seems that this is aimed at corporations, who would ostensibly use it on hardware they own - which they certainly have the right to do. I think I'd probably prefer it if they'd stopped at the "lock-down" feature, though; that sounds like it would be useful, especially in light of news in recent years about laptops being stolen from high-profile locations. What do you think? Orwellian surveillance or necessary safeguard?

[alex_kac]

Considering its a package that the company has to choose to apply and get and probably pay for, I'd say its great :)

[ADBrown]

Letting companies track their employees via their phones is going to lead to serious abuses, no two ways about it. Companies already exercise too much unreasonable power over their employees, and a 24/7 Big Brother would be even worse.

Tracking is acceptable as long as it can only be implemented under defined circumstances--for instance, if a device is reported to the carrier as lost.

[thunderck]

This same type function is available from JPMobile minus the GPS. 8) I also understand that a customer of Sprint developed this.

[whydidnt]

So what happens if the employee turns off the phone? So much for that tracking capability I guess. I for one don't want anyone tracking where I am, or for how long I'm there. If my company wanted to do this, I'd tell them about long walks and short piers. Though, the reality is that it would be awfully boring for whoever was tracking me.

On the other side of things, I sometimes think it would be nice as a parent to be able to use this kind of technology to make sure my child is where she's supposed to be. However, I also remember being a teenager, and learning some things "the hard way" and there's a lot of value to that. It just would be nice to take one worry away.

[Oleander]

I recently saw a program (from BBC?) where someone tried to see what happened to stolen equipment.

They had some hitech tracking devices built into some expensive equipment (mobile phones, camcorders and laptops). Then they went round flashing this stuff in all the wrong places, just waiting for it to be stolen. When something was stolen (in the UK) it resurfaced in such far off places as South Africa and India within 2-3 days! I doubt that any protection scheme that probably depends on being in reach of the Sprint network is of any use in this type of crime...