GPS Tracking - 3 Effective Uses To Consider

Some of the available GPS tracking software packages today enable the user to interact with the tracked unit in a number of ways. Thus, the communication goes both ways so that from a base station, the user can check the status of its target object and send new instructions to it like remote commands if necessary.

One of the most well-known and widely used applications in the field of global positioning is the GPS tracking. In the first place, a GPS tracking system uses GPS to identify the location of a person, vehicle and pet. It also records the position at regular intervals in order to create a track file or log of activities. The recorded information can then be stored within the GPS tracking unit, or it may be transmitted to a central location or internet connection computer. This transfer can be done through the use of a cellular modem, two-way radio, or satellite.

A GPS tracking system actually has a number of uses. In this article I will discuss mainly three of the well-known uses of this GPS application.

1. As mentioned earlier, a GPS tracking system is used to track pets. Well, this idea is relatively new, so there are not a lot of choices and the technology can be pricey. But, I have a few samples of GPS tracking devices used to track pets:

? GPS Pet Tracker X5000 by Micro Tech ? This device is now marketed to the owners of dogs and cats, not only in the US but in many other parts of the world. According to its proponents, this unit sends its location information over the GSM cellular network and will send SMS messages to three phone numbers at intervals of two to 120 minutes. Also, the user can call the tracker to obtain the information.

? Pointer Dog-GPS by Pointer Positioning Solutions ? This device is made primarily for hunting. It consists of two devices, the sender and the hunter?s map. The Sender is placed on the dog?s harness, while the hunter?s map is for the dog owner. The hunter?s map has a GPS so the hunter can see his or her position on the map screen, as well as the position of the dog. The hunter can even listen to what?s going on at the dog?s location.

2. Today, a number of GPS tracking systems intended for most mammals and larger birds are highly available. Perhaps the reason for this development is that wildlife researchers need to determine the travel patterns of the wild animals as this is very critical to study and preservation. Well, some of the available system intended for this purpose have two-way communication which permits the user to gather information on demand or re-program the device while it is still on the animal.

3. Most GPS tracking systems function by creating a geofence around a company?s assets like construction equipment. The systems can be activated over the telephone or by computer. When the asset travels outside the perimeter, an alarm is then immediately sent to a dispatch center. The police are then notified and able to track down the missing equipment, often within an hour.

In today?s advanced technological world, GPS tracking is fast becoming a staple in society. It is but another high potential growth area for GPS applications. Perhaps this is because there are so many uses for these devices. In fact, with ever smaller dimensions and weights coupled with the availability of solar cell power, these GPS tracking systems can be used in growing number of cases.

Dean Shainin is a successful Webmaster and publisher of http://gps.deans-knowledgebase.com a site designed to provide current information, resources, tips, services and state of the art products related to GPS tracking systems. For more articles, and valuable resources for getting discounts, visit his site at: discount GPS tracker

GPS Tracking--the Smart Way to Protect Your Child

Whether it is your vehicle or your child, there are GPS tracking devices that can help you keep track of or locate them anytime, anywhere. It is more dangerous today for your children than at any other time in history. So putting a small GPS tracking device on their person to keep track of them is not as silly as it might sound. Today's GPS tracking devices no longer require a line of site to the sky in order to work.

The new GPS tracking devices can now pick up signals that pass through a window and even the roof. So regardless if your child is inside a concrete building, parking garage, under a bridge or unconscious in heavy foliage, they can be quickly found, and if necessary, help rendered. And it is not only good to use if or when your child is snatched. Small children can easily wander off and get lost, not realizing the danger they are in. Or, if something were to happen and they were hurt, and because no one was around, a GPS tracking device would help parents to find them quickly and easily.

There are also a number of vehicle GPS tracking devices, which can not only be used to track a stolen vehicle, but also to monitor workforce productivity, and protect companies against time sheet fraud. These are great little affordable devices that can be a big help to small businesses with mobile work forces. They are also great for monitoring unauthorized use of company vehicles.

Easy to use and easy to install, these GPS tracking devices can be installed in a glove box, under a seat or they can be put into special waterproof magnetic cases and installed under the hood or just about anywhere under your vehicle. And tracking is so simple that you can do it from any internet based computer.

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Tracking Your Teens With GPS Tracking

GPS tracking devices are becoming more and more popular today as companies use them to track travel activities for company cars and trucks. They have previously proven their worth in law enforcement, as excellent ways to help in the prosecution of criminals. As a private individual, you may want to use your GPS tracking device not only as a theft deterrent, but also as a way to help you keep records of your travels for tax purposes. These devices use internal motion detectors to shut the unit down once the vehicle is free of vibrations for five minutes, and are capable of recording location data in ten, twenty, thirty and sixty second intervals, depending upon which period you choose. It's a great way to verify delivery routes when there are numerous and short stops.

Another great GPS tracking device is so small that it fits in the palm of your hand, comes in a weatherproof package, and can record up to twenty-four hours of movement on a single set of AAA lithium ion batteries. This little beauty also comes with a cigarette lighter adaptor and can log data on 100,000 positions. That is a totally amazing feat for such a tiny little device.

How many times have you wondered where your teenaged son or daughter has driven to? Did they go just where they said they would, or are they out running around with friends, speeding, and being totally irresponsible? With a covert GPS tracking device, you can record their exact whereabouts, how fast they were driving, and how many places they actually drove to.

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7 Ways to Use a GPS Vehicle Tracking System

Have you ever thought about installing a GPS vehicle tracking system? Although you may have seen the commercials and have some knowledge of how the system operates, you may still have questions as to how the GPS actually works and how it can serve your personal needs.

1- The most obvious reason to have a GPS vehicle tracking system is in a situation where your car is stolen. If you ever become a victim of vehicle theft and are lucky enough to have a GPS system installed all you will need to do is to inform your GPS carrier of the theft. They can track the cars??? exact location and its speed, when the vehicle has been located, they will call police to recover it for you.

2- If you happen to be traveling in your car and it begins to show signs of a mechanical issue, or perhaps it completely breaks down and leaves you stranded in the middle of nowhere, you will have the peace of mind of knowing that you only have to push a button and help will be summoned. Most systems will have this particular button labeled as a ???communication??? button.

3- Perhaps one of the most important and emotional reasons to have a GPS vehicle tracking system installed in your car is the ???panic??? button. This button is to be used in cases of emergency. This can include everything from a fender bender to a carjacking, what ever the reason, when this button is pushed an operator at the GPS carrier can immediately listen to what is happening. If it is safe, and there is no robbery taking place, they will talk to you and help to asses the situation. If, however, they determine that it would be detrimental to speak to you, they will contact the authorities for you.

4- If you happen to be directionally challenged, you have the capability to press the communication button. This will put you in contact with someone who can give you directions that will lead you to your exact destination. In fact, a GPS vehicle tracking system is great for many of life???s little mishaps.

5- For instance, if you, or your children, lock you out of your car, it can easily be unlocked by phoning into the call center of the service you choose. This is also a very handy feature if you tend to lose your car in a crowded parking lot, they will find it for you and send the lights flashing and the horn honking for you. Maybe the best thing about being able to call for help in these types of situations is that you don???t have to actually see the grins on the faces of the people you are speaking with.

6- For many parents, this device can give them peace of mind. It gives them the ability to call and check upon the exact whereabouts of a car that is being driven by a child without directly interfering with their plans.

7- The advantages of having a GPS vehicle tracking system installed are numerous, but beware of what you are paying for before you sign on the dotted line. Find out exactly what options your plan covers and what the monthly service fee is. Make sure also, that your system is being installed by someone who is licensed to do so.

Read more articles about gps tracking and gps tracking vehicles on Peter Wallander websites.

Does GPS Vehicle Tracking Equate to 'Big Brother?

When people ask about my business, I tell them, "My company offers GPS vehicle tracking systems." Their response lets me know whether they are an employee or a business owner.

The first words out of the mouth of an employee is: "Sounds like 'Big Brother' to me." Oh no, not 'Big Brother!' Visions of mind-controlled drones working like slaves come to mind and they quickly walk away.

'Big Brother?' What is wrong with a business monitoring their vehicles? Or making sure their employees are doing what they're being paid to do? Who owns these vehicles, anyway? Does the owner have a right to know how they're being used?

Now, don't get me wrong. I believe employees should be trusted and treated as adults. But, if you've ever driven a rental vehicle differently than the car you own, then you understand how an employee may mistreat a company vehicle.

Take the speeding employee, for example. Employees who drive too fast waste your gasoline, wear out your vehicle prematurely and sooner or later, drive up your insurance rates.

A GPS vehicle tracking system can alert you when someone exceeds your pre-set speed limit. It's your vehicle, your fuel and your insurance premium; a tracking system helps you regain control of them.

Who uses your vehicles after hours and on weekends? Is an employee using your vehicle to moonlight? Is he using your gas to move his brother-in-law into a new apartment? You'll know if you install a GPS vehicle tracking device in your vehicles.

How do you verify overtime claims? Maybe you can verify the work was done, but when? With a GPS tracking system, you can cross-check a vehicle's location with the time of day it was there.

Have you ever been tempted to take an extended lunch hour? Think your employees might be tempted, especially if they're out of the boss's sight? A GPS tracking system records how long each vehicle remains at one location; use it to keep them honest.

Another benefit of GPS vehicle tracking systems: you'll never make another phone call to find out where your employees are--you can just look on the map displayed on your computer screen. Also, your GPS tracking system will remind you when it's time to rotate tires, change oil or perform other scheduled maintenance. And, many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30% for vehicles protected with GPS tracking systems.

The employee also benefits when their company vehicle is equipped with a GPS vehicle tracking system.

1. Hand-written driver logs are replaced with data from the tracking system. 2. Using info from the gps tracking system, each employee's productivity can be quantified and compared; an employee's performance can be more objectively measured. 3. Your dispatcher can look on a computer screen and locate all your vehicles immediately.

Customers also benefit from GPS vehicle tracking systems. Businesses can provide precise arrival or delivery estimates, because the estimate is based upon the actual location of the tracking device-equipped vehicle at the moment they call. If a customer questions when your employee arrived or left --prove it to them using data from your tracking system.

Still think GPS tracking systems are tools of 'Big Brother?' I guess it depends upon your point of view.

The concept of 'Big Brother' never comes up with business owners. The business owner will say: "How will tracking my vehicles help my business make more money?" They want to know what GPS vehicle tracking can do for them.

Are GPS vehicle tracking systems 'Big Brother?'--You tell me.

Ken Sink, owner of My Vehicle WatchDog, is a veteran with 20+ years of transportation experience, including fleet management of over 800 vehicles. Visit http://www.MyVehicleWatchDog.Info for more information about GPS vehicle tracking systems from Fleet Management Solutions, Networkfleet and Sprint/Nextel. Submit your info for a quick, no-obligation system quote. Quantity discounts for volume purchases.

GPS Vehicle Tracking Data: What Do I Get?

What information is provided by GPS vehicle tracking systems? Here is a summary and examples of how you could use data provided by GPS tracking devices:

Location data: Latitude and longitude provided in degrees, minutes and seconds. It is accurate to 33 feet, which is as accurate as any commercial GPS device. A vehicle's location is updated at intervals of between 2 - 15 minutes. The standard update interval varies between manufacturers or can be set by the owner (optional).

* Who is closest to the customer that just called? See where all your employees are by checking the map. Never again call an employee just to find out where they are!

Speed calculation: Rate of movement in miles per hour. Movement in excess of a preset speed (standard) or owner-set speed (optional) triggers an alert, sent to the owner.

* Are employees routinely speeding? Speeding causes excessive wear and wastes gasoline. Your vehicles represent your company to the public; what kind of an image is presented by a speeding or recklessly-driven company vehicle?

Present direction: Compass direction the vehicle is traveling, expressed as north, south, east or west.

* Is employee 'X' en route to the customer or leaving their location?

Geofence use: A 'virtual' geographic boundary, created by the owner. Crossing this boundary triggers an alert which is sent to the owner. The alerts are usually e-mail messages or automated telephone calls from the system to the user, including the vehicle identification, date/time of crossing, location of crossing and more, depending upon the system. A Geofence can be 1/4 mile to 20+ miles in diameter.

* Is a delivery truck approaching the warehouse? Is the gate open?

Alerts: An automatic e-mail, sent to the owner, with the date, time, location, identification and other details related to some event which has occurred and deserves your attention. Alerts are triggered when a vehicle exceeds a preset speed or crosses a Geofence boundary, for example.

* Email alerts can be sent to your Blackberry or portable device. You can monitor your company while out of the office or away from your desk.

Fastest speed report: A daily report of each vehicle's fastest speed.

* Why was employee 'Y' driving 80 m.p.h.?

Historical data: A record of all data related to each vehicle, maintained for 90 days.

* Which vehicles averaged the most miles driven each day? Export vehicle data to an Excel Worksheet to compare productivity between employees.

Ignition on/off: Time, date and location of each instance where a vehicle's ignition was turned on or off.

* When was Hooter's restaurant put on employee 'Z's route?

Idle report: Time, date, location and duration of each instance where a vehicle remained motionless while the engine was running. Owner can adjust the duration of idle allowed before a report is generated.

* Idling the engine wastes fuel and causes unnecessary wear. Employee 'Z's vehicle idled twice as long as employee 'Y's vehicle; perhaps employee 'Z' should shut off his vehicle's engine when making deliveries.

Accumulated mileage alert: An alert sent at 3,000 miles, 5,000 miles or at an owner-set interval (optional) as a reminder to perform preventative maintenance.

* Email: time to have the oil changed on vehicle 'A'.

Location on demand: The ability to locate and display location info when requested, regardless of when the last scheduled update occurred.

* Where is employee 'Y'? I need to find him right now!

Map detail: Vehicle location is displayed on a street map, which the owner can enlarge or reduce to see more or less map detail.

* Employee 'A' says Main Street is closed for construction, what is the next street West?

Landmarks: Reference points which may or may not be visible on the map created to designate locations important to the system user. Landmarks could be customer locations, the user's shop, warehouse, satellite offices, etc.

* Who has been to the warehouse today?

Breadcrumbs: When requested by the owner, a trail of points can be displayed on the map, indicating a vehicle's route during a certain time period.

* Do routes overlap between vehicle 'A' and vehicle 'B'?

Many GPS tracking system providers offer additional information, but, as I hope you can see, even this list of basic data will give you all the info you need to manage your vehicles.

Ken Sink, owner of My Vehicle WatchDog, is a veteran with 20+ years of transportation experience, including fleet management of over 800 vehicles. Visit http://www.MyVehicleWatchDog.Info for more information about GPS vehicle tracking systems from Fleet Management Solutions, Networkfleet and Sprint/Nextel. Submit your info for a quick, no-obligation system quote. Quantity discounts for volume purchases.

Vehicle Tracking

 

Vehicle tacking and similar security measures for your assets are becoming more popular every day. If you already own an expensive vehicle, such as a car, boat, trailer, quad bike, jet skis, motor bikes and more, consider protecting your assets against theft and permanent loss by installing a vehicle tracking system. A vehicle tracking system is a modern and effective method to ensure vehicle recovery after the unfortunate event of a theft. Most new and modern cars can already have a vehicle tracking system installed; otherwise, the process to have the system installed is easy and effortless for the vehicle owner.

In South Africa, the crime rate is high in comparison to other countries, protecting your assets is becoming a part of daily life, from security measures in your home to vehicle tacking and alarms on your vehicles. It is important to research and compare vehicle tracking services and companies, choose a system and a company that can meet your individual requirements and specifications. Many influencing factors will help you make your decision.

First, you need to choose a company that can supply the technology to track your particular vehicle type. Most tracking companies can offer advanced tracking technology that can be installed on almost any vehicle type including watercrafts and on the road and off-road vehicles. The device should be easily concealed on the vehicle and be small enough to evade detection.

Then you need to choose the type of system the vehicle tracker will work from, being a point-to-point system or a GPS system. Depending on your budget, and your location, you may need to seek advice on the best system to suit your needs. It is true that a point-to-point system can be more affordable in comparison to the GPS systems; it is recommended that you get quotes from various reputable companies and compare pricing and services.

It is also a recommendation that you investigate the insurance coverage provided by your product; ensure that the company that supplies your tracking system can meet all your insurance requirements. The contract is also another point not to be taken lightly, here it is imperative for clients to read the “small print” and ensure they do not get “locked into” an unreasonably long contract. Getting a vehicle tracking system installed in your vehicle can be an effective security method to ensure you get your stolen vehicle back after a theft; this is a peace of mind precaution, offering you an easy method of asset protection.

Phil Smulian is a reviewer for supplier of a satellite tracking system, who will help you with vehicle satellite tracking, Tracetec.