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By Greg Bartlett

Secret Service

A couple of years ago, I took a class in executive protection as part of my undergrad requirements. I was surprised to learn that many executives are kidnapped each year, especially those who travel internationally or in dangerous areas. For companies, protecting these executives is important not just because the company needs the executive and it’s a good idea to protect your employees, but also because of the finances involved with an executive is kidnapped. That’s why many executives have protection specialists – also called a bodyguard – like I learned about in the class I took.

But besides hiring a protection specialist there are other alternatives and ways to further ensure executive safety. For instance, GPS tracking systems can help a protection specialist monitor an executive without being physically present every moment of the day. If something does happen to the executive, the protection specialist can investigate right away and notify authorities if the situation requires.

A new BlackBerry program, called NavIQ Mobile, allows employers to track the actions of its employees and monitor their locations through GPS technology. This is especially valuable for those who travel overseas or to dangerous locations, such as journalists who visit war zones or executives going on overseas business trips. If the executive is kidnapped, executives can press a panic button secretly and the GPS tracking systems in their BlackBerry will send their exact location to authorities. In some situations, this emergency notification may be the only way the executive’s life can be saved.

GPS tracking systems can also be useful by allowing the company to monitor employees and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing while on the clock. Sometimes remote employees aren’t actually working and are instead enjoying a party or are out on a golf course. Unproductive time like this is estimated to cost companies almost $800 billion dollars a year. But if the employees’ movements are being tracked while they are on the clock, employers can ensure that employees are not wasting company time and resources.

Protecting your company’s assets is important, and with the current unstable financial situation saving money is a necessity. Therefore, protecting your executives and monitoring your remote employees through GPS vehicle tracking systems may be the solution for your company by allowing you to give your executives the necessary tools to travel overseas and in dangerous locations, in addition to helping protection specialists inside the USA and keeping your employees accountable.