Next Mobile launches mobile locator service with greater accuracy

Digital trunk radio operator Next Mobile Inc. (NMI) has unveiled a new service – the first of its kind in the Philippines – that will allow companies with a mobile workforce to track the exact location of their people, vehicles, and products within a five-meter accuracy radius every 10 minutes.

The IMX Mobile Locator is a mobile resource management solution that enables businesses to effectively manage their mobile operations by providing timely details on the movement of employees and field assets in real-time.

NMI data services director Ed Balontong said this is the only phone-based global positioning system (GPS) in the country that gives the exact location of the one in possession of the mobile handset with an accuracy of five meters. This compares with the 150-meter position accuracy given by some handsets, whose accuracy fails because the position is determined via cellsite triangulation.

Balontong added that there are some location-based companies that similarly offer GPS services but at a steep price. For instance, the hardware alone which is vehicle-based costs approximately P20,000 each, excluding the monthly GPS map subscription as well as the cost of transmitting data.

Through the IMX Mobile Locator, an office can locate the whereabouts of as many as 100 people at the same time. It uses the advanced technology of GPS, web-enabled GIS mapping, and the digital wireless network.

Locations are tracked using the signals of the GPS satellites being picked up by the GPS receiver of the IMX handset or an in-vehicle unit (rover). The GPS location data is automatically sent to the map application server through the IMX wireless data network. The server then translates such location fix into recognizable street and city attributes, which are viewable via a web-based map or via the IMX handset. This information is also processed for other metrics such as travel time, speed, distance traveled, and other applications.

Balontong emphasized that IMX Mobile Locator allows a business not only to instantly locate its entire fleet in one view but also improve accountability with electronic documentation of travel history, analyze and optimize asset utilization based on recorded data, and manage communications with one’s entire fleet using one platform for voice, data, and tracking functionalities.

Monitoring can be suited to the business’ needs. For instance, GPS handsets or rovers can be tracked on-demand or based on a pre-determined schedule. For the rover, it can be configured to send its location based on distance, like every five kilometers.

Balontong added that access will be secured as only pre-identified computers and IMX handsets can view the location to ensure the privacy of one’s fleet. Access schedules can also be defined to control the date and time to view the online web access.

NMI has partnered with Geoanalytika, an expert in GIS mapping solutions for this service.

NMI officials revealed that, some of their first customers for this service include an LPG delivery company, a car carrier and a courier service company.