Nov/Dec 2004

If you're monitoring the location of people or assets by tracking their mobile phones, it seems only logical that you should actually be able to get the information delivered to your own mobile phone.

Until lately this option was not high on the priority list of phone-based tracking companies, which have tended to use the Internet as the primary interface for users. However, Verilocation could set a trend with a new service called Text Tracking.

Under this new scheme, it is possible to track mobile phones via an instruction sent by SMS text from another such phone, or in fact any device with texting facilities. The system uses a short code, 63331, plus one of three additional phrases to select the various services available.

The answer comes back as a further text message - normally within ten seconds, the company says. As a security measure, Text Tracking checks the number sending the text message to verify it is the account holder's number, and won't work if it's not.

 

Text tracking will cost 25p per track from January, and will be available throughout the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland).