Quick quiz: How are the 9-11 tragedy and mobile phone GPS tracking related? 9-11 motivated the federal government to prioritize the mandate for GPS tracking to be engineered into every cell phone sold in the US. Cell phone manufacturers are now required to contain internal GPS technology accurate within 100 meters; 2005 was the deadline to come into compliance. The tragic circumstances of 9-11 brought to light the critical need for emergency locators for tracking rescue workers and victims.
So by now, your cell phone most likely includes GPS technology. Here’s the catch: except in a real emergency, this technology is not necessarily accessible to consumers. The make of your phone, model, the service plan you choose, and the network you are on will all affect your access to mobile cell phone GPS tracking. However, when you dial 9-1-1, emergency service operators have instant access to your GPS location.
5 Excellent reasons to have personal access to a mobile phone GPS tracker
Keep track of your teen’s activities (even younger children!)
Monitor your field employees for travel routes, time management, unscheduled “breaks” and sidetrips
Add security for executives and couriers carrying your company’s proprietary data or other invaluable assets. (Some mobile phone GPS trackers even have “panic” buttons)
Begin with your current cell service provider. The option may exist to add a GPS tracking option to your account. If you are unhappy with what they offer you, or want to look at other possible choices – a third party provider may be able to transform your mobile phone into a tracker. Executrac is one such software package. Tracking data plans are available for several cell phone models, including almost every Blackberry (check and see if your phone is on the list). You can download the software directly to your phone. After you register and activate the product, you can instantly monitor the phone’s exact location through maps available on the web. You can track your entire sales team in seconds! Emergency responders can be directed through a crisis, family members can be spotted quickly (and covertly!) That’s right, you can choose whether to offer that extra feeling of security for someone carrying an activated phone by revealing that you have access to their whereabouts, or …. Not! Just secretly keep an eye out for your family’s security.
Alternate devices
If you are stuck in a long term contract, or do not want the expense or hassle of buying a new smart phone just to track a problem employee or spy on a cheating spouse – you have another (possibly cheaper) option. Mobile phone GPS tracking technology is also available in small, dedicated devices. Tiny, live tracking devices can be placed in the back of a glove compartment, hidden in a kid’s backpack, or at the bottom of a purse. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, this little gadget is truly spy stuff. So effective, it was recently used in a CSI episode!
Attach it to your heavy equipment at a construction site, keep it in your camera bag alongside your expensive camera gear, put it inside your brief case – attach to anything that has a risk of theft. Accurate within 15 feet, this unit even works inside buildings. The mapped location will be available on any internet connected computer, from anywhere in the world! Watch your family or company assets from your vacation getaway – never feel insecure again. You can even program the software to alert you via text or email if certain speed limits are violated. It will even let you draw up specific boundaries on a map, and then alert you if the unit strays beyond that perimeter! A panic button feature is also available.
A rechargeable battery will continuously operate the unit for up to five days, (longer if operated intermittently). It’s got a pretty rugged exterior for outdoor or covert use. If you need something tougher, or just want the ability to slap it quickly to a car frame, the waterproof, magnetic OtterBox is a handy accessory. Another good value with this unit is the fact that you can pick from several service plans… rates vary and are based on length of contract. Double check for any activation fee and add-on options, (panic button communication, etc.)
Don’t need live tracking? Just want to map out someone’s activity? Suspicious of a spouse or want to check and see if a teen’s story really checks out as to his whereabouts? Need to reconstruct an employee’s work day and use of company time and assets? A GPS data logger may be all that you need. Same mobile phone GPS tracking concept, only instead of watching the unit live on a map, this cool tool “logs” its specific location, speed, stop times, and routes at specified time intervals. No data plan or monthly fee necessary. You can then download that information later via the built in USB connector. Works with any Windows based PC; the data will merge with Google Earth, Google Maps, or Windows Live and more for an accurate travel/time picture. Use it for geotagging photos on Picassa or Flickr to recreate your pictorial vacation timeline. This unit is accurate within 2.5 meters, it will operate for two months on a pair of AAA batteries. This video explains how it works:
Don’t limit yourself to your old phone, or just to the first generation of GPS mapping guides for your dash. Mobile phone GPS tracking is available in many forms, (and with just as many price tags). Take a good look at what you’ll be using it for, and that will determine that type of unit you will invest in. If you need it for your phone, 24/7, see if your carrier will offer you an option. A relatively inexpensive data logger may accomplish some simple location, route, and time tracking. A live tracker is getting into some James Bond spy territory – handy, and if applied properly might save you a lot of money by better managing your people and assets. Brickhouse security is one place where we’ve found a lot of cutting edge devices and innovative technology; they also seem to have a lot of information available for comparison shopping between devices.
