Wireless providers offering budget-friendly GPS

by Adam Ledlow

TORONTO, Ont. – Wireless solutions providers are making it easier than ever for small and mid-size fleets to utilize tracking technology by offering GPS solutions at a budget-friendly rate.

TELUS recently expanded its GPS-enabled real-time tracking solutions using wireless handsets and in-vehicle modems for business. The national suite of solutions is designed to provide fleets with the ability to track their mobile assets in real-time. Using the TELUS 1X and Mike wireless data networks, the tracking ability is designed to improve operations, productivity, service levels and safety.

“TELUS GPS-enabled location, navigation, and dispatch solutions provide companies with simple and affordable alternatives to improve fleet efficiency using real-time information from the field. Optimized route scheduling, reduced fuel consumption and fleet usage records to adjust maintenance schedules are some of the key benefits,” said Jim Senko, vice-president of mobility solutions for TELUS. “The big benefit is enhanced customer service with accurate access to real-time information and location details.”

TELUS GPS solutions range from handset-based navigation (currently available in Alberta, British Columbia, and southern Ontario), through to handset tracking, handset tracking with dispatch capabilities and vehicle tracking.

In addition to sophisticated voice communication using TELUS Mike push-to-talk, GPS-enabled handsets provide additional features including real-time location of mobile assets, modem tracking solutions, alerts based on specific thresholds and geographic perimeters. Companies can also increase the safety of employees by tracking staff in case of an emergency, with vehicle speed, idle time, and seatbelt usage.

GN Johnston Equipment, a Markham, Ont.-based full-service dealership for leading brands of equipment in the materials handling business, is currently using in-vehicle applications to track its 230 vehicles on the TELUS 1X network, with GN service technicians operating from company-owned vehicles in Ontario and Quebec.

GN Johnston Equipment officials say the application, provided by Complete Innovations’ Fleet Complete, allows the company to improve dispatch efficiency and technician utilization resulting in better, more efficient customer service.

“The ability to optimize technician scheduling by location and by skill set will mean faster and more accurate service for our customers,” said Dave Lockhart, regional service operations manager, GN Johnston Equipment. “The detailed reporting and fleet tracking capabilities of the TELUS and Complete Innovations solution will also enhance safety and improve our overall operations.”

Bell is also offering a comprehensive entry-level resource and asset management system called GoTrax.

The system is designed to allow users to locate mobile employees, quickly and easily, by locating wireless devices using Assisted GPS (AGPS) technology.

“The good news with GoTrax is that wireless tracking is not only for big business anymore,” said Bell representative, Phillipe Jette. “Small, medium, enterprise – anyone can afford to adopt a wireless tracking service with GoTrax.”

GoTrax is a Web-based application that allows the user to locate their mobile resources using a combination of GPS location technology and cellular tower triangulation to find mobile employees and assets and view the location information on an interactive map.

For customers looking for more elaborate customization options with their GPS packages, GoTrax is probably not the way to go, as the plan is essentially pre-set. But for smaller carriers looking for basic functionalities like confirmation of arrival and delivery, speed and distance reporting, landmark identification, data archiving and reporting, receiving alerts, and scheduling, GoTrax is ideal. As well, because the system is GPS-based, it can work in any environment.

Jette says the system has numerous benefits including faster response times to customer service calls or emergencies; more efficient use of field force resources; and reliable location fixes in challenging environments.

GoTrax allows the carrier to view the location of its entire workforce on a map with full zooming and panning capabilities. The map can then be customized with an unlimited number of landmarks and fencing parameters which send alerts as employees move in and out of a pre-designated area.

Since GoTrax is a Web-based solution, expensive software or hardware is not necessary and it doesn’t require a complex installation. The feature can simply be added to existing Bell accounts.

“For any kind of need, there is a product in the Bell portfolio that not only can you take as is, you can customize it and really tailor it to your business needs. Having choice is a powerful attribute,” Jette says.

For more information on both the TELUS and Bell GPS solutions, visit www.telus.com or www.bell.ca.


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