dead right about that - when we were on the BT/Anovo broadband installation contract, the chaps on the BT Helpdesk used to plead with us NOT to install the "BT Broadband Desktop Help" software, even though we were contractually obliged to do so
It hooks its way into every part of the system and can cripple a machine
Personally I always thought it was part of the Phorm project, but I never got anyone to admit it