April/May 2007

GlobalTRACS, a tracking application from US-based Qualcomm, has been launched in Europe four years after its first appearance in the United States.

It is being pitched primarily as a solution for the construction and plant business, and is said to have been developed following a detailed analysis of the requirements of this market.

Accordingly there is significant emphasis on remote vehicle and equipment monitoring and management, condition alerting, security monitoring and anti-theft alerts - all of which are likely to appeal to the construction market, though some would also sit comfortably in the transport world. Features for Europe include full CANbus integration and optional battery backup.

GlobalTRACS uses GPS tracking, which contrasts with some of Qualcomm's other products, which use satellite technology. In the US the company is well known for its OmniTRACS satellite-based tracking system, and in Europe it offers the EutelTRACS system, also satellite-based. Recently it announced a new Web portal for all its systems (m.logistics, last issue).

Data from GlobalTRACS can either be accessed online or be integrated into existing business software systems.