They need something like this as soon as possible.

Yes, but they'll install it on all privately owned PCs (probably as a trojan) so that unregistered devices can be shut down and citizens expressing dissent via email can be removed from interaction with "reasonable people".

It wouldnt go on government PCs or their contractors. Unless there's anything personal about "VIPs" on there

So what happens if you stop paying?

I was just wondering the same thing, actually!

of course you can set up your own, but for those without the nous or inclination, but have the desire; a good little money earner it makes for PGP.

Sounds like the service Dell are offering.

The "ability to remotely disable lost or stolen laptops" is scary. How soon before the wrong laptop is disabled by accident or a faulty laptop disables itself?

Alertsec (www.alertsec.com) has been offering this for SMEs for 3 years already and has a world-wide audience. They are using the Check Point (Pointsec) software as the encryption engine on clients.