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GPS technology is readily available in many forms today.  One of the most popular ways GPS technology is used by private citizens is on their cell phones as a limited type of tracking device.  Many GPS phone accessories are available, providing helpful and fun services; however, long term tracking solutions such as vehicle tracking applications should be covered by a dedicated tracking device.

For example, phones equipped with the correct tracking capabilities can find any restaurant in any location. If the cell phone user does not have a specific restaurant in mind, he can search for whatever kind of food he feels like. Many food and restaurant apps can find all restaurants within a certain food category. One unique food app even searches according to specific food dishes. This accessory will even bring up a photo of the dish (if the business owner has loaded this up for viewing).  The tracking device in the phone can guide you to this very restaurant with a great navigation app!

For shoppers, deal-finding phone apps are available. Some GPS apps help a shopper discover major sales in the city, while others give coupons for a certain area. Another shopping accessory is similar to a social network, allowing shoppers to notify other users of deals they discover. Foursquare and now Facebook Places are location based services that tell people where you are in the hopes of meeting up with your friends for lunch, or enjoy an outing with others who have common interests. They also usually include a privacy setting so the user does not have to be constantly visible to other users. Shopping and friends and GPS makes life just a little bit easier.

Another application designed for customers who like to bargain shop can find the best deal on an item. All the shopper has to do is take a picture of the item’s bar code with his phone, and the app will bring up a list of stores and websites that also carry the item. Detailed mapping software will direct you right to the door of the business – all thanks to GPS!

GPS phone apps can be used not only for recreation, but also for safety. Some tracking devices offer assistance in medical emergencies by guiding the user to the nearest emergency care. Some health and safety apps provide more specialized information by giving information for the user’s specific emergency or condition.  Many emergency apps have the capability to let others know of the user’s location, as well as being able to call 911 for assistance.  The immediate availability of emergency information or medical help with this type of app makes it very valuable.

These are only a few of the many available GPS cell phone applications. A huge variety of GPS phone accessories ensures that each customer’s wants and needs can be satisfied.  Keep in mind that these GPS capabilities are usually added as a convenience for the user and should not be used for long term GPS tracking situations.  Limitations such as battery life and data usage download costs are just two of the reasons why people do not use their cell phones for vehicle tracking purposes.  See the experts here at Rocky Mountain Tracking to discuss how you would like to use a tracking device – and we will recommend the perfect solution for your needs.  Hot tech trends like GPS will continue to be more involved in our day-to-day lives.  Let an experienced team of GPS advisers help you in your GPS decision – RMT!

(Did you know we have a contest going on right now at Rocky Mountain Tracking?  Yes! Win a GPS Tracking Key from RMT by just hitting the “like” button on our Facebook page and commenting on an article of your choice, or the giveaway post – or whatever you “like”! Thanks for reading our blog too – Experience a fabulous gps tracking device – don’t just read about it!  Track stuff!  Enter and good luck!)

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A professor at CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania is trying to improve the accuracy of officiating football according to Wired News.

Dr. Priya Narasimhan believes through GPS and an accelerometer she can electronically measure the position of the football within millimeters of the yard line where the ball is down. If successful, this could eliminate the need to bring out the measurement chains and prevent many reviews under the hood by the referees. It could be one less reason to throw that challenge flag.

The technology may also enable live data on ball handling grips, trajectories, speed, and ball cradling. Special gloves are embedded with 15 wireless touch sensors that can measure correct hand positioning on the ball. A GPS chip inside the football sends data every second which is accurate up to 30 feet.

Dr. Narasimhan’s engineering team is just in the beginning stages of development and they will likely have improvements to make as they go along. They hope to eventually utilize this technology in the NFL.

On the field and off the field, this technology could revolutionize football. It could improve training on the practice field performance on game day. You can only imagine how much time this would save during a game. The fumbles can be a tough decision. With 15 players stacked up, no official can see when the ball came out, if the player was down before the ball came out, and who recovered it.

Some could argue that our current rules of football lack technology to the extent that nearly half of the ref call should be unofficial. On the other hand, it often appears there is some favoritism playing into some of these decisions. If a tracking device can improve accuracy and help enforce the rules, I think the implementation of this technology is in everyone’s best interest.

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Earlier this month, Rocky Mountain Tracking was recognized for its innovative use of video on its website in an online article. If you have been to www.RMTracking.com, you have likely noticed the video host on the bottom right hand corner of the screen who greets you with “Welcome to Rocky Mountain Tracking,” explains why RMT is a leading reseller of GPS tracking systems, and leads website users on a virtual tour, leading them to the compare products page of the website.

“As any company, we experienced the typical website customer spending just 2, 5 or 10 seconds here before they got bored and moved onto another site,” said RMTracking.com President, Brad Borst, from the company’s Fort Collins, Colo., headquarters. “Video gives them something else to look at. It’s a must for any ecommerce business looking to maintain their attention long enough until they’ve had a chance to look more into the site and your products.”

RMT knows that the way to get customers to stay with you is to implement something that grabs their attention. But in contrast to its website-enhancing techniques, it sells GPS tracking devices that do just the opposite. You do not want a GPS tracking device that grabs everyone’s attention. You want a tracking device that gets the job done with as little fanfare as possible.

GPS tracking devices from Rocky Mountain Tracking are not bulky or obtrusive. They do not stand out, demand attention or get in the way. A GPs tracking device like the PT-200, which is the world’s smallest GPS device, gives you real time tracking and location history with full address, date and time stamp. This tiny GPS device packs a lot of tracking power. When it comes to asset tracking, the PT-200 is easy to hide.

You can also use the PT-200 for track even the smallest pets when you pair it with the PT-200 Pet Collar. That is a testament to just how great this device is. People often associate GPS tracking devices with cars, but as you know, even the largest pets are not nearly the same size as a car. The PT-200 fits into a collar that will not disturb or weigh down your pet.

So RMT lets you track assets and pets with no fuss and saves the high visibility for its website.

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This year, people are looking to save money and give Christmas gifts that provide real value. And at Rocky Mountain Tracking, we don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Decorative gifts have their place too, but what about giving someone a gift that they can really use, something that will bring them continued returns, and not something they will want to return because it was the wrong color or did not fit? Some of us have always been fans of the ‘practical gift,’ and others are just now catching on to this idea.

What is more practical than a gift that gives support and protects a valuable asset? A GPS tracking device can help you, a loved one or a friend keep up with your vehicle and prevent auto theft. We need our cars and now more than ever we are doing what we can to maintain and keep them for the duration.

With a GPS vehicle tracking device you can monitor your driving habits and you may be surprised to see how much money you are letting slip away due to bad driving habits. You can help save yourself or a friend money when you install a GPS tracking device and use the information it provides. Excessive speeding, for instance, can really inflate your gas expenses and when you get an overview of just how much speeding you do, you will likely be motivated to alter this habit.

Most security systems have flaws that a determined thief can overcome. Plus, as you have probably observed by now, alarms do not draw attention the way they used to. Most people are just annoyed by them. When you add to this the fact that nearly half of vehicles stolen are never recovered, and of those recovered most are damaged or destroyed, it makes sense to look for another way to protect your vehicle, since it is one of your most important investments.

Visit Rocky Mountain’s Compare Products page to get a comprehensive overview of the products that Rocky Mountain Tracking offers. There you can get the information you need about purchasing a GPS tracking device as a gift for yourself or for someone else. If you still have more questions after viewing and comparing products, don’t hesitate to call Rocky Mountain Tracking at 877-477-9668. A knowledgeable customer service representative will be happy to help you choose the GPS tracking device that will best suit your needs.

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If you run a small business, you may have noticed that some of your colleagues have put up ‘Out of Business’ signs and you certainly don’t want to join their ranks. There are things you can do to make sure that you do not have to take this step.

People often speak about cutting costs, but sometimes what they are referring to are one-time drastic measures. Truly effective cost-cutting is a sustained effort. If you are continually keeping the budget in balance, it is possible to avoid have to slash it in big ways because the ends won’t meet.

One respected research firm has recently released a report about what businesses are doing to stay afloat. The firm’s research found that more and more companies are turning to GPS tracking as a way to stay in the black. Using GPS vehicle tracking technology is an example of one way for an organization to enact a continuous cost-cutting measure. And this makes perfect sense. If you are making sure that your vehicles are used in the most efficient way possible, you will save money on a constant basis. In fact, one operations manager interviewed for an article about the report said that his company saved tens of thousands of dollars the very first year that they installed GPS tracking devices on their vehicles.

A tracking device not only helps you cut costs, it also will help you improve your response time and enhance your customer service By knowing where your vehicles at all times on a real time map, dispatchers can easily send the nearest vehicle when a new job arises.  This saves both money and time.

Good customer service is always important, even more so now that people are holding onto their money. Customers will be reluctant to give you their dollars if they are not going to get their money’s worth. You want to make sure you give them a reason to keep coming back. You also want their experience with your company to be a smooth one so they will recommend you to others.

Rocky Mountain Tracking takes this approach. This is why we offer comprehensive customer support for all of the products that we sell. If you have questions about using one of our GPS tracking devices, do not hesitate to give us a call. We don’t just sell you a tracking device and wish you well. We’re there for you if you need assistance.

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In a recent news story, police were able to apprehend a criminal who stole a van because the van was equipped with a GPS tracking device.

A felon spotted a van that was property of a county in New York state and hopped in for a ride. As you probably know some crimes are planned, but many are simply crimes of opportunity. An idling van, an open door…these are the kinds of temptations that criminals find hard to resist.

The employee who had been entrusted with the van was quick to alert his employer and they in turn called the police. Because of the GPS tracking device inside, the police were able to find the van outside of a fast food restaurant. Without the GPS tracking device, who can say how long it would have taken for them to find the vehicle? It surely wasn’t the only county-owned van on the streets. So police would have had to be on the lookout for both the van, not really knowing exactly where it was or who was driving it. A detective in an unmarked car attempted to get the suspect to end his joy ride. The suspect left the vehicle and made a run for it.

Eventually the van thief, someone who had been arrested 17 times in the past, was apprehended.

There is another side to this story though—what about the employees who left the car running and accessible to an opportunistic thief? We didn’t get to read about the end of that person’s story. I’m sure the county was glad that this employee came forward quickly and did not try to hide the theft.

As great as GPS technology is and as much as it can do to help make things more efficient, it doesn’t beat old-fashioned common sense. Most employers would prefer of their employees didn’t leave company vehicles idling, but having a GPS tracking device can add an extra layer of security in the event that something like this does happen.

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GPS vehicle tracking systems can go a long way toward helping business owners manage vehicle use and employee productivity.

Your operations will be much more efficient if you employ GPS technology. Being able to have a route mapped out will allow employees to get work done much faster. It is highly likely that each one of your company vehicles could make at least one more stop, job, or delivery each week. If you have several vehicles, do the math. More deliveries means more satisfied customers and more business. For companies that are growing and have felt a little strain in getting things out to customers, a GPS tracking device can help. Your employees will be able to get more done in less time. You will be able to handle a recent surge in business and feel confident in seeking even more business.

A GPS tracking device also monitors vehicle speed and usage. Certainly you have taken the time to hire trustworthy individuals, but no one is perfect. For example, speeding can raise fuel costs. A well-meaning employee who speeds out of habit probably doesn’t think about what this costs the company. A GPS tracking device tracks speeds so managers can be alerted to speeding. This way, they can talk to the employee and let this person know that they need to stick to the speed limit to keep costs down.

You can set up alerts on the software that accompanies a GPS tracking device to inform managers of infractions that you feel need to be addressed. That could be speeding, idling, or traveling beyond certain boundaries. Some employees cannot handle the temptation to make a side trip here or there in a company car. Managers can be made aware of this and take appropriate action as necessary. Again, the employee is probably not thinking about the costs in fuel or added wear and tear on the company vehicle, but as a business owner, you must think about these things.

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