Hundreds of thousands mobile devices are stolen every year around the world and efforts of authorities, network operators and other interested parties to tackle the issue has little effect. However, Intel Corp. and a number of its partners believe that Intel Anti-Theft technology will hardly exclude possibility of stealing, but is likely to make it a lot harder.

Intel Anti-Theft technology is set to become available in laptops towards the end of 2008. According to the company, the technology will be able to disable system from working, disable data access and protect hard disk drive (by encrypting all the data). More precise details about the new technology will be released later this year.

The world’s largest maker of x86 microprocessors said that Absolute Software, Fujitsu-Siemens Computers, Lenovo, McAfee, Phoenix Technologies and Ultimaco Software are working with Intel on the development of Anti-Theft technology. The names of partners indicate that the feature should be supported by system itsel, BIOS, core-logic and software, which may indicate that Intel Anti-Theft will be rather robust capability.

“The technology focuses on asset recovery, theft management and data protection and will arrive in laptops by year’s end,” said Dadi Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager of Intel’s mobility group.