Gps Tracking Keeps Thieves Away from Construction Sites

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/g0bpb)
Theft of equipment from construction sites is occurring at an alarming rate.  So much so, that construction firms have embraced the use of  GPS Tracking devices to help them recover expensive equipment quickly.

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The poor economy is partly to blame for the rise in incidents of theft.  But beyond that is the fact that there are more opportunists out there that are looking for ways to make a quick dollar – even on larger expensive items. GPS Tracking systems are playing a large part in helping to solve these incidents.  Here are the ways that they are helping.

Web-based Locate is Accurate and Efficient

With a device attached to an asset, the location can be viewed on a computer screen at any time (as long as it is a device that is on all of the time, an active system, and can be tracked in real-time.)  This alone is a good feature, but there is one better: geo-fencing.  With this feature enabled, you can get a text alert or email message if your asset is moved outside of a boundary that you set on a map on your computer.  Since early morning thefts are common, these boundaries protect your assets while you sleep.   Stealth and quickness are the two biggest advantages of using these devices.  Getting your equipment back fast helps you to keep your business running and will ultimately result in less damage to the asset.

Manage Multiple Assets with the Click of your Mouse

If you are a large contractor, then you are more vulnerable than smaller ones.  The more pieces of equipment that you are required to watch and maintain, the more chances that theft can and will occur just by sheer numbers.  Now you can manage all of your equipment from one computer.  Perform a simple inventory in minutes.  Know where your equipment is and who should be using it by location.

Many Types: Battery, Hard Wired, Magnetized Installations

If the equipment is big enough, it can be tracked.  Many tracking devices have batteries that can run for days between charges.  Others can use existing 12 volt systems to keep them under power (and use the internal battery as a backup).  Vehicles are the most popular items to track but also heavy duty equipment like tractors, graders, bulldozers, skid loaders, etc, can all be outfitted with a device.  And, since these devices are relatively inexpensive compared to the price of the item, it is worth the time and trouble to protect it.  The problems theft brings can slow down the whole project and put you thousands of dollars behind schedule!

Reducing Theft Risk Reduces Your Insurance Premiums

Risk reduction is important to insurance companies and with GPS Tracking devices, they can achieve that goal better than ever right now.  So, chances are high that your insurance premiums will go down as a direct result of implementing these units on your equipment. Making the decision to outfit your entire fleet of assets with GPS Tracking devices is one that you will not regret.  Knowing expensive asset locations helps manage projects, keeps insurance companies happy and keeps thieves away.  GPS Tracking plays a large role in protecting construction sites.  Smart firms embrace  Gps technology and are proactive against thieves!

Does the Use of GPS Systems Compromise Your Privacy?

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/76E25)
The obvious answer to this question is ‘yes.’  The implementation of GPS Tracking devices has long been at the forefront of privacy discussions.  In fact, there are real dangers that are inherent if the motivation behind their use ever turns to illegal practices.  Even some well-intentioned people allow a measure of privacy invasions to accomplish their goals.

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That is why you should recognize the risks and know how to protect your privacy and rights.  Here are the things that you should be aware of regarding this topic.

Using GPS Enabled Cell Phones Compromises Your Privacy

Turning on the feature that you want to use to track your kids in turn makes them vulnerable to outside tracking.  The simple fact that the smartphone is available on the cell system as a GPS device makes it open to attention by prying eyes.  Think before you decide to use it, and then turn the GPS part off (if you can) once you are finished with it.

Your Privacy Can be Breached by Tracking Your Vehicle(s)

Tracking devices can be attached to your cars or trucks without your knowing.  These can be the passive types of trackers, or active ones that show in real-time where you are going and the location of your vehicle.  If you suspect that this is the case, you can perform a thorough inspection of your car to see if there is a device attached.

Your Rights are Secondary to Existing Laws

We all know how important our right to privacy is these days, but it is a simple fact that they are getting trampled upon more and more.  Those who choose to track you can submit any evidence that they obtain in a court of law and it is accepted as factual.  There are those who have tried to prohibit this from happening with no success.  Even though you are supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty, it doesn’t always work that way.

Tracking is Done Without Your Knowledge or Permission

As mentioned before, you can be tracked without your knowing.  Permission is not required for using GPS Tracking devices for those in the general public.  Private investigators have turned to using them for their own purposes.  Police are required to get a court order before using them, but that does not always happen, either.

Tracking is Occurring Right Now

The GPS signals are everywhere and are difficult to avoid.  It is difficult for them to penetrate some buildings, but some systems also use cellular signals to assist.  On-going tracking is occurring right now for various uses.

Just knowing that they exist can help you navigate the world of gps tracking. Don't forget that use of gps tracking devices is assisting our courts in monitoring criminals given access to the outside world. The use of these devices is varied and becoming more commonplace. Knowing your rights of privacy is important. We will try to keep you updated in this area. Bookmark this blog and stay "in-the-know"!

Take GPS on Your Next Hike

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/Ksm4w)
by Greg Bartlett

One of the greatest things about living near the mountains is the ability to take off into the wilderness on a hike whenever nature beckons. No matter what time of year it is, there are always new sights and sounds, new wildlife to observe, and the sounds and smells of life and growth all around.

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Seasoned hikers know that it’s important to take precautions when heading into the woods. They take care to hike with a buddy, bring plenty of water and food, and carry a first aid kit. Still, stories surface each season about hikers who become lost and require search and rescue teams to come to their aid. Such stories can result in happy endings more often if the hikers have the forethought to bring along a GPS tracking device.

Most GPS tracking devices will fit easily into a pocket, clip to a belt, or slip into a backpack zipper compartment. As the carrier moves, the device will send signals at intervals to pinpoint its location at any given time. While most hikers plan their routes carefully and follow maps and trail markers, the unexpected can happen anytime you head into nature and even the best of explorers can become disoriented if a fallen tree or rockslide changes the landscape.

A pleasant hike can quickly take a turn for the worse if one of the hikers becomes injured or sick, making an exit impossible. Without cell phone coverage, GPS tracking provides the best way for rescue teams to find stranded parties in the wilderness.

It’s easy for 'outdoorsy' people to place too much confidence in their skills without taking into consideration any possible problems that may arise, as five hikers in the White Mountain Wilderness area discovered. After spending a night in the woods, they were found with the aid of GPS tracking after placing a 9-1-1 call regarding their predicament. Rescuers reported that the search was one of the easiest they had conducted and that the GPS tracking coordinates led them within twenty-five feet of the lost hikers.

No one plans to get lost or injured when they head off into the mountains on foot, but GPS tracking helps even the best of hikers be prepared for the unexpected. With a GPS tracking device along for the trip, lengthy search and rescue missions can be reduced to quick and painless targeted searches that nearly always have a happy ending.  Your family will be at ease knowing you can be found with hi-tech satellite based tracking.

Popularity of GPS Tracking Stimulates Innovations

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/EucwG)
by Greg Bartlett

As technology continues to advance, GPS tracking devices continue to improve and evolve. Systems that were once somewhat bulky are now a very small and manageable size. And they continue to shrink, but at the same time, their applications and power continue to expand. What changes have taken place lately in GPS tracking systems?

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GPS tracking units are continually getting smaller. More powerful, yet smaller, batteries are also being used in tracking devices. Advanced, powerful batteries can send more frequent signals for longer periods of time. This is very important to many consumers, because it eliminates the need to continually retrieve and charge the tracking units.

There are several reasons that smaller GPS tracking devices are in high demand: for easy concealment, for use with other devices, and for privacy.

As there is a higher demand for GPS trackers that can be easily concealed, developers are making smaller and smaller tracking units. It is very important that companies who protect their shipments and equipment with GPS tracking devices have small unobtrusive devices to make sure that they are not discovered. The smaller the device is, the easier it is to hide, because it fits in more places. There is only so much room inside of a GPS tracking watch or in a thin GPS tracking bracelet. The makers of these devices know that a small size is crucial.

Although many people use GPS tracking devices for various purposes, they might not want those purposes to be widely known. Although some might think it is a good idea, some parents of young children might not want to tell their children that they are wearing a GPS tracking device, because they might decide to play with it or take it off, which would prevent the child from being tracked. Owners of a passive tracking device might be concerned that someone would try to steal their device, so they want a small device that is not noticeable.

No matter what a person’s reasoning for purchasing a small GPS tracking system, companies are continually striving to create more advanced systems in smaller packages. GPS tracking technology has come a long way in the past ten years.  As people find new ways to use GPS tracking technology, innovations in the field will increase.

Car Thefts Decrease Thanks to GPS Tracking

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/IiCjk)
by Greg Bartlett

Each year, over a million automobiles are stolen, costing around $7.4 billion since few of the cars are recovered.  The good news is that the vehicle theft rate has been dropping in recent years, in part because of GPS tracking systems which are designed to locate and recover stolen vehicles.

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GPS tracking systems provide car owners – and police – with a unique way of discovering the vehicle’s location.  The GPS device installed in the car will keep track of where the car is, what stops the car makes, and at what speed the car is going.  It can even automatically alert the owner should the car be driven during particular times of the day or outside of preset boundaries.  Even if the thief is only taking the car out for a joyride, a GPS device can assist the police in finding the vehicle before any damage comes to it.

In North Carolina, a young man recently stole a car during the night.  The vehicle’s owner reported the car stolen when she discovered it was no longer in the parking lot, and the police were able to find out where the car had been driven and where it was because of the GPS tracking device in the vehicle.  The thief was arrested and the vehicle returned to its proper owner.

In Oregon, a man experienced a similar situation when his car was stolen from his home.  Police used the GPS unit installed in the car to locate the vehicle, and then arrested the thief and recovered the undamaged car.  Since many vehicles will end up in chop shops where they are dismantled for parts, locating a vehicle quickly and finding it undamaged are important.  GPS tracking can help to reduce that recovery time which is so vital and thus help to ensure minimal damage to the car.

GPS tracking systems also have other benefits to help reduce theft rates, in addition to simply monitoring the vehicle’s location.  Some tracking devices can enable the owner to remotely shut down the engine or keep the engine from starting, and can even lock or unlock the car’s doors.

Taking precautions such as locking car doors, parking in well-lit areas, and removing or hiding valuables inside a car help to reduce theft rates, but GPS tracking systems are playing an increasing role in locating and recovering stolen vehicles.  For car thieves, GPS is bad news, but for car owners, GPS can mean the quick and hopefully undamaged recovery of a vehicle.

GPS Tracking Reduces Prison Overcrowding While Saving Money

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/z3vaX)
The State of Indiana is grappling with a prison problem – overcrowding.  The statistics bear out that because of a lack of attention to an aging criminal code and sentencing guidelines, little has changed to bring alternatives to bear in communities state-wide.

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The result is a system that is too rigid in sentencing guidelines which stacks the states’ prisons with those who really would be better off out of those institutions.

Most other states have recognized the enormous cost that is associated with incarcerating convicts on a wholesale basis.  These states have begun to implement better, and more focused options to alleviate the problem.

But, it isn’t as easy as it might appear.  There is the need to apply fair sentencing to cases while maintaining safety and security of the public at large.

Both of those goals can be met if a comprehensive plan is adopted which will help solve the overcrowding problem.  This is a program that has three basic areas of focus.

Community Involvement

This part of the program does not mean that the public has to put up with more convicts who are on house arrest.  This means prevention first and foremost and then an intelligent application of sentencing which might be slanted towards more community based sentencing options.

Citizens everywhere need to take the blinders off of their eyes and realize that crime hurts every one, and that it needs to be stopped before it starts.  Doing things like paying attention to locked doors, secured personal property will help.  But, so do mentoring programs that help young people stay off of the streets and involved in activities that encourage them to grow up as responsible adults.  It’s a total program that must not be ignored.

Improved Probation System

Probation is more important than ever because it provides an alternative to incarceration.  And, when a convicted person is allowed to remain outside of jail and still serve their time, the chances of them being a repeat offender are much lower.  This is important because they are allowed to remain productive citizens of society.  They can provide for themselves and their families by being able to work while serving their sentence.

Use of Technology

GPS Tracking has been around for a long time in the judicial system.  But, what is happening now, is that there are so many more sentences being handed down in the form of active prisoner monitoring in other states, that the task is getting too big for existing departments to handle.  The sheer numbers are overwhelming some systems in other states.

Smart guidelines need to be used to fix this problem:  first, a statewide monitoring system needs to be implemented.  Next, probation and parole officers need to be more involved in the monitoring system.  Next, the guidelines for issuing a monitoring device need to be challenged so that only those who will really benefit from it can get it.

This problem in Indiana will eventually go away because there are very competent people running the government and making the decisions.  If any state can do it, Indiana can.

Smart Business Owners Embrace GPS and Increase Profits

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/SB1jj)
When difficult economic times hit, most businesses that were hanging on by a thread folded.  The ones that remain have learned how to cope by making significant changes in their operations.  Is there more than can be done?  Certainly, there is always room for improvement.

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Now that businesses have taken every conceivable action to stay in business, attention turns to the little things.  Taken together, these can help keep the wheels turning for a long period of time.

Avoid Hiring

Payroll is the biggest expense for most businesses.  The need to bring another person on must be weighed against the expense.  There is not only the pay, but also the benefits.  And future consideration must be given to health care costs.  That uncertainty alone makes it worth holding off on hiring.  If you must have a real person to help you consider two alternatives:  part-time help or contractor assistance.  Neither of these require payment of benefits and you can terminate the arrangements much easier.

Watch Little Expenses

Every expense must be scrutinized.  Right down to the utilities that you consume.  If you own your own building, put in water-saving toilets.  Make sure electrical items that are not necessary to run the business are turned off while you are done for the day or weekend.  Turn down your water heater so that it supplies water temperatures that are slightly above warm.  Shop for a new bank account that charges lower and/or fewer fees.  Credit unions are a good place to look for that.  Print fewer documents on your printers.  All of these together make up significant savings to your bottom line.

Downsize major expenses

Is it time to move into a smaller space from which to run your business?  Consider that rent payments often make up thousands of dollars per month.  Calculate how much a move would cost you, and then compare that to what a smaller location would compare to your current rent.  This would allow you to see how long it would take to make up that money that you spend to move and then begin to save over time.  If you own or lease major assets, think about downsizing those or getting rid of some that you no longer use regularly.  If you have vehicles, look into used versus new.

Implement Technology

There are two technology implementations that you should consider.  First, is an 800 number and associated PBX (phone answering) system.  These are so common today that most people do not mind using them.  And, once they are programmed correctly, they allow callers to route their own calls and leave messages on voicemail boxes and send pages, etc.  You can replace a full-time receptionist with one of these at a fraction of the cost.

Look into GPS Tracking systems.  If you own assets that are used outside of the physical confines of your business, tracking them with these devices makes a lot of sense.  Should you need to know where a vehicle is (for example), you can look it up on any Internet connection.  If one is stolen, you can recover it quickly.  Plus, your insurance company might provide a cut on your premiums.

All of the above are not hard to implement.  It takes time and will power to make it happen.  But, you can make it happen and that might be all it takes to keep your business solvent until better economic times bring more sales.