Intelligent, export/import restriction-compliant portable computer device

A computer program product for execution within a computing device having a location detecting mechanism, said computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable device;
• program code on said computer readable device for enabling compliance with export restrictions on a component of the computing device, said program code comprising code for:
• detecting an attempt to enable said component for utilization by selection of a single startup icon associated with the component, wherein said component is a software application and two versions of the software application are stored on the computing device for executing on a processor of the computing device, wherein a first version of the software application is export-restricted and a second version of the software application is not export-restricted;
• identifying a current location of the computing device prior to enabling utilization of the component;
• determining when said current location is one of a pre-established un-authorized location in which the first version of the software application is not authorized to be utilized;
• and
• in response to the current location being one of a pre-established un-authorized location:
• enforcing said export restriction on said component by (a) preventing the first version of the software application from being executed while the computing device is within the current location that is one of the un-authorized locations;
• and
• executing the second version of the software application;
• and
• wherein both the first version of the software application that is export-restricted and the second version of the software application that is not export restricted are concurrently installed on the computing device and execution of one of the two versions of the software application is initiated via selection of a single selection/startup icon on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the computing device, which selection activates the export-restricted first version as a default version when the current location is an authorized location and activate the second version only when the current location is not an authorized location;
• wherein said program code for said enforcing includes code for disabling only said export-restricted first version of said software application when the device is in the un-authorized location;
• wherein said first version is automatically activated for utilization in all locations that is not one of the pre-identified unauthorized locations and said second version is activated for utilization only when a request for utilization of said component is detected within a location that is one of the pre-identified unauthorized locations;
• wherein seamless activation of one of the versions of the software application is provided via the single startup icon regardless of the location in which the computing device is being utilized.

In a computing device, a system for enabling compliance with export restrictions on a component of the computing device, said system comprising:

• a location detecting mechanism that identifies a current location of the computing device;
• an RFID (radio frequency identification) receiver that dynamically receives RFID signals at strategic exit locations with RFID transmitters, which broadcast a list of export restricted components and the countries and locations in which the restrictions apply;
• a memory which stores the list of export restricted components and countries received by the RFID receiver;
• and
• an export compliance software (ECS) utility that executes on a processor of the computing device to cause the computing device to:
• retrieve the current location of the computing device;
• determine when said current location is one of a pre-established unauthorized location in which at least one version of said component is not authorized to be utilized;
• and
• in response to the current location being one of the pre-established unauthorized location, enforce said export restriction on said component by:
• detecting an attempt to enable said component for utilization, wherein said component is a software application and two versions of the software application are stored on the computing device for executing on a processor of the computing device, wherein a first version of the software application is export-restricted and a second version of the software application is not export-restricted;
• preventing the first version of the software application from being executed while the computing device is within the current location that is one of the pre-established unauthorized locations;
• and
• executing the second version of the software application, wherein the at least one version of the component that is export restricted is prevented from operating within said current location.