Microsoft Building a Kill Switch with Partners for Windows Phone
Most of the smartphones including Windows Phone has ability to find, ring and even erase your phone if its connected to internet and you had lost it. However, if someone finds it, he would be smart enough to reset or pull the battery off before you had even realized it.
Microsoft is building a “Kill Switch” by working with Wireless Industry which will make it possible for the device to be turned into a useless piece of glass and plastic, next time it connects to internet(hopefully). They signed on to CTIA’s Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment in April, and they shared on TechNet that we will MS will meet these commitments before the CTIA goal of July 2015.
Find My Phone – Advance Version
Those who aren’t aware, Windows Phone already has “Find My Phone” feature in Windows Phone which allows you do basic thing as long as its connected to internet. This will be will be extended to include the following capabilities:
- Remotely erase personal data from the smartphone
- Render the smartphone inoperable by unauthorized users, except the ability to call 911
- Prevent reactivation or setup of the smartphone without the authorized user’s permission
- Reverse the inoperability if they recover their smartphone and restore user data stored in the cloud if the smartphone was erased
This feature will be offered as an update for all phones running Windows Phone 8.0 and newer, though availability is subject to mobile operator and phone manufacturer approval. Additional details on functionality and availability will be provided closer to the official release.
That said, I am eager to know if this will work even if a phone has been reset ? What role is the wireless industry playing here ? Are we looking forward for a standard technology that can be implemented across devices ?
