Sony is currently rolling out its "my Xperia" mobile security service globally, offering remote tracking, locking and wiping for Xperia smartphones.

The company's "my Xperia" service is very similar to Apple's "Find my iPhone" tool, offering roughly the same benefits and functionality. The service has various levels of security and protection for Xperia Android smartphones. If users misplaced their phone around the house or left it at a friend's house, for instance, they can log into the service's web interface and remotely trigger an alert on the phone. That alert will go off even if the smartphone is in silent mode. The default volume for this alert is set to maximum.

Sony first trialed its remote security service back in February and now the company is ready for a global rollout "over the next few weeks."

"To quickly recap, 'my Xperia' is Sony's remote security app that'll locate and protect your Xperia smartphone (& personal data) should it ever be misplaced," the company explains in a blog post announcing the global rollout. "We recognized that your smartphone is equally important as your wallet or keys (some might even argue *more*), but also just as easily lost..."

The "my Xperia" web user interface (UI) also offers mapping data, positioning the phone where it last checked in. According to Sony, if the service can't get the location instantly it will keep trying and send users an email alert when it finally pinpoints the location. Users will also be able to override their current PIN code or other security set on the Xperia smartphone and reset it remotely, setting a new 4-digit PIN. Users can also choose to flash up a message on the lost smartphone's display, such giving contact data or offering a reward for retrieving the device.

As a last resort, "my Xperia" users will be able to wipe their smartphone's internal memory, memory card, or both, in order to protect their data. The only way to recover files after such a wipe would be a restore from backup, notes Sony.

Considering that smartphones are increasingly ubiquitous and are a great part of one's life, holding lots of personal data, account access or other sensitive information, such remote security services are of great value to users. Sony Xperia smartphone users had third-party options such as Lookout for such services, but having a Sony-supported tool is naturally preferred. The company started to roll out the service gradually on a global scale and it should reach all 2012/3 Xperia devices soon.