GPS Tracking

Privacy Debate Goes On and On

Protect Yourself, but Use to Your Advantage

Any time someone brings up the issue of privacy and security one of two reactions is almost always observed:  anger or apathy.  This polarizing topic has many up in arms these days because there are more ways to breach your privacy than at any other time in history.

GPS Tracking systems are also in the mix of these debates.  In fact, talking about the vulnerabilities of using GPS Tracking is a good thing.  You need to know that you are vulnerable and at what point you are being put at risk so that you can take measures to protect yourself.  Here’s what you should know about GPS’s dark side:

Here’s What You Should Know

GPS Enabled Cell Phones Make You Vulnerable.  When you turn on the GPS feature on your smartphone, you can be tracked.  This means that you need to be aware of the times when you need it and when you don’t and then turn it off.  Or, just face the prospect that someone could hack into your phone and monitor your location in real time.  Turn the feature off, and be sure to password protect your phone’s functions.

GPS Tracking of Your Vehicle Makes You Vulnerable.  Movies used to be the only place that we saw devices that were used to track a car’s movements.  That is no longer the case.  Devices can be attached to your car without your knowledge (it only requires two wires).  If you are in a legal dispute with someone, in a divorce for example, it would not be unheard of to have your car tracked by a spouse or ex-spouse for the purpose of collecting information that could be used against you.  Be extra aware if you are in these situations. (more…)

Business Uses of Devices Show the Way

No Longer a Nice-to-Have Technology – Now Mandatory

Technology is being deployed into more places in our society than ever dreamed possible.  In fact, if it were not for some of the uses and implementations, it is not a stretch to say that businesses in our economy would be in worse shape and many more would have closed their doors by now.

Proof is in the Numbers

Farfetched reasoning?  Not if you consider the following ways that GPS Tracking is impacting businesses.

Fleet Operations Management.  Is there a better tool for monitoring and managing fleet operations?  Name one system that has had the kind of impact on this type of business.  Maybe the cell phone, but even at that, it does not provide location information.  Being able to turn your operations on a dime during business hours to better serve your customers is made possible by the use of GPS Tracking systems.

Greater Control over Assets.  It used to be that once your vehicles left the business site, you were in the dark about how they were being used and where they were going.  The effect on control alone has been a great advantage for businesses who are trying to squeeze every possible penny of profit from their business that they can.  Not to mention the ability to be able to recover from theft in a matter of hours rather than days, weeks, months or maybe never.  Insurance companies, too, are throwing their weight behind these tracking devices to by offering reductions in insurance premiums. (more…)

Small Aircraft can be Difficult to Find in Crashes

GPS Tracking is a Perfect Fit for Small Planes

We hear too many stories of small planes that take off and disappear from the sky and end up in horrific crashes.  One that captured attention recently happened in rural Montana.

In this case, antiquated equipment hindered the locating of the aircraft.  It was a 1968 Piper plane and while they can be outfitted with newer technology, the owners decided against it leaving the plane with an older technology locator beacon which is only helpful at very close range.

Second Guessing

While playing ‘what if’ is very easy in these situations, the obvious questions are asked because they bring up valid points.  GPS Tracking is perfect for smaller aircraft and the sooner there is a law requiring them in all aircraft of this size, the better. (more…)

Enterprising Shipping Entities Realize the Benefits

Recovering from Theft that Runs in the Millions of Dollars

A change is taking place in the cargo shipping industry.  This change is for the betterment of the business segment and will help keep them profitable for years to come.  The focus of this change comes in the form of GPS Tracking systems that are being implemented world-wide.

Further proof of this change is realized from stories of businesses that provide tracking to those that move freight on a daily basis.  Faced with pressures to reduce cargo theft and improve service these alliances are proving quite formidable in monitoring and following up on the theft of product.

GPS Tracking for Short or Long Runs

These efforts have made GPS Tracking a must-have for cargo transporting whether across the country or from continent to continent.  The main thrust of these systems is the ability to monitor shipments as they traverse the globe in real-time.

Then, the ability to react quickly to attempts to steal the cargo has helped minimize losses while protecting profitability.  Here’s how it works:

GPS Tracking Devices Deployed.  As shipments are prepared for movement from one location to another, they are outfitted with GPS Tracking devices.  These are hidden among the goods and are then activated for real-time tracking. (more…)

One of the Best Features of GPS Tracking

Systems are Customer Service Focused

This is a fit made in heaven, it would seem: the marriage of GPS Tracking with Public Transportation systems in the form of Buses.  While other systems try to use GPS Tracking to help make a better customer service experience, bus systems trump them all.  Here are the reasons why:

Are You Late or is The Bus Late?

The Need is Real.  Trying to catch buses on schedule can be a nightmare.  Just ask college students who do not have a vehicle or cannot drive theirs on campus for classes.  Mix in their penchant for being late and you will soon see the need for a system that allows instant interactivity with buses and their schedules.  Now, translate that to the many bus systems that operate in large cities around the world.  The need for better service has been the cry on the lips of riders everywhere.  So, there is no doubt that this was a real need and that it would be well accepted. (more…)

Economic Conditions Force Adaptation

Relying Too Much on Technology?

It’s a fact of life that we cannot avoid:  lean and mean times require lean and mean methods of operating for everyone.  Business, government, even our own families have to learn to do more with less.

Technology is at the forefront of delivering ways to accomplish this.  We are seeing things like PBX phone systems that allow callers to route their own calls, and even those pesky self-serve check-outs at national retailers reshape how we think about working with less.

Businesses have downsized to the point that what used to be called essential services that were performed by several people are now relegated to other departments and spread across a few remaining workers.

Have you tried to get support from a major company recently?  If they have not embraced off-shore support, then you are often directed to a website to get online help and assistance.  Businesses have eschewed personal contact in favor of user ‘communities’ online that you can utilize by signing up and posting messages about your issue or problem.  And, if you choose to try to call companies, the phone systems are difficult to navigate and often you end up hanging up in frustration.

These organizations are turning to technology to help solve the problem of being able to do more with less.  GPS Tracking is one of these that are being incorporated on a daily basis to do just that.  Here’s how: (more…)

Another Technology Innovation

Auto Dealers Use Systems to Remain Profitable

Ever notice how many used vehicles are on the streets and roads in the area where you live and travel?  Sales of new cars and trucks have slowed because of economic conditions forcing existing vehicles to be driven by owners longer.

Dealers that specialize in used vehicles are realizing resurgence in business recently.  Handling more customers and the issues that come with them can be a challenge.

There are more resources than ever that can help.  While this article is not a listing of those services, one can find many sources with proper searches on the Internet.

This article is a look at how GPS Tracking can assist these smaller dealerships. (more…)

Another Auto Manufacturer has built-in GPS Capabilities

Safety, Security the Best Reasons to Have These Devices

A manufacturer of automobiles, Jaguar, has secured a deal with Trafficmaster to become their stolen vehicle tracking system and partner.  The system is called Trackstar and will replace the existing system that Jaguar uses at present.

The perfect marriage of technology comes in the form of GPS Tracking systems and vehicles to which they are outfitted.  These systems allow for tracking of vehicles from anywhere and the location of the same should they become stolen. (more…)

Fleet Operations Are the Best Businesses for GPS Tracking

Simple Theft Incidents Solved Quickly

Source acquired via The Morning Bulletin, May 28, 2010, Rockhampton, Australia, – Installing a GPS tracking system inside of a taxi cab is not a new notion, though one Rockhampton, Australia, taxi company is taking this idea just a bit further than the rest. Rocky Cabs has recently outfitted 65 taxis with security cameras and GPS tracking systems. Rocky Cabs decided to equip its fleet with GPS trackers and cameras after a taxi was stolen from another cab company.

Theft Sparks a Trend to Purchase GPS Devices

Last week, a Capricorn Taxi was stolen by two thieves while the taxi driver was inside of a gas station paying for gas. The Capricorn taxi in question was equipped with a GPS tracker, and police were able to recover the taxi. 20-year-old Bevan Bunning was arrested for stealing the Capricorn cab. As a result, other taxi companies throughout Rockhampton (such as Rocky Cabs) are beginning to install GPS trackers. (more…)

Technology That Aids Air Traffic Needed Around the World

Black Boxes Are Not Enough

Source acquired via New Zealand Herald News, May 27, 2010, New Zealand – Hamilton, New Zealand, coroner Gordon Matenga recently told New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that new “flight tracking technology” is greatly needed. Matenga was referencing liquor tycoon Michael Erceg’s 2005 helicopter crash when he told press that installing a GPS tracker inside of all aircraft would lead to less heartache for friends and family of those who die in plane crashes. (more…)