Loss or theft of your mobile phone is painful enough, given its price but no amount of money can replace the loss of your valuable data, such as your contacts, messages, your treasured pictures and videos, confidential documents and information on your device.
However Mobisure DataProtect lets you remotely prevent unauthorised access to your key data and may also help you get back your phone.
DataProtect runs on devices with the popular Symbian S60 2nd and 3rd edition, Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC and Smartphone, Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 operating systems.
“If the device is lost or stolen, the user can send it an SMS to lock it, rendering it useless to whoever has it and the device will sound an alarm and display a standard or personalized message indicating that its lost and to call the owner at the number provided,” said TecProtec managing director Mark Simmons.
Should the SIM be changed, DataProtect will send an SMS with the new number to up to nine pre-configured numbers of friends and family members indicating that it’s lost or stolen and DataProtect can also be configured to automatically lock the phone.
The user can also send the phone and SMS to get DataProtect to erase all personal data on the phone.
To obtain DataProtect, users need only buy a scratch card with the serial key from TecProtec retailers for RM88 for the life of their phone, then download and install DataProtect, and activate it through its website at http://dataprotect.tecprotec.com.my or via SMS. TecProtect is in the process of rolling out DataProtect among its network of 500 retailers nationwide.
Simmons assured us that DataProtect will not be erased from the phone or de-activated by a software upgrade performed by service persons in phone shops.
“We hope to add an additional feature to DataProtect in the first quarter of 2009, which will backup all data over-the-air on an ongoing basis and to roll out a version of DataProtect for BlackBerry in the second quarters,” Simmons added. The cost of these have yet to be announced.
The application underlying DataProtect was originally developed overseas for Singapore’s Ministry of Defense, Police, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and Certis Cisco.
The technology is also used commercially by Telenor in Pakistan, Nokia in India, Tata Communications, Mobilink, Zong, Mobix and Singtel over the past three years and it’s won several awards such as Red Herring Asia 100, the Wall Street Journal Asia Innovation Award, from Frost & Sullivan and others and it’s marketed in Malaysia by TecProtec Sdn Bhd, which soft-launched DataProtect in Malaysia last month under its Mobisure brandname.
TecProtect specialises in the design, implementation and management of handset protection programmes provided in through technical partners and mobile operators. About two years ago, it launched a range of Mobisure mobile handset insurance packages against damage and/or theft, and underwritten by AIG General Insurance, with coverage while worldwide for up to 60 days.
“If the phone is stolen, it will be replaced with a brand new one and if it’s accidentally damaged, it will be repaired for free and replaced if necessary,” said Simmons.
It also provides Mobisure extended warranty programmes which provide up to two years protection beyond the manufacturer’s standard warranty, inclusive of parts, with the warranty amount up to the purchase price of the phone.
“This helps operators retain customers and reduce churn, especially now with mobile number portability,” said Simmons. “It also helps operators differentiate themselves from their competition and also provides them with an additional revenue stream.”
Altogether, TecProtec has around 12,000 insurance and extended warranty customers today.
