SPOT® Satellite GPS Messenger
SPOT® is proving to be a great seller and popular with anyone who ventures into the great outdoors or is in an area of poor or no mobile phone coverage. The recreational market has gained a large market share for sales of them. They are also being used as a safety device for occupations where staff are working alone or in areas where they may not have normal communications. Several companies have a ‘lone worker policy’. They are having their staff check in on a regular basis using SPOT® to comply with OH & S obligations. This saves them time, increases productivity and reduces costs.
SPOT® will perform similar to a Personal Locator Beacon / EPIRB with extra features.
With the average price of a GPS enabled 406MHZ PLB / EPIRB between $600 and $1000, SPOT® is a cost effective alternative with more options, low set up costs and minimal ongoing expenses.
SPOT® uses the GPS system to find its location and then transmits this data using the Globalstar Satellite Network. Use of the SPOT® system is via a subscription fee.
SPOT 2® has 5 primary functions.
OK button- The ability to inform people (that you nominate) via email or SMS you are OK.
HELP button – The ability to inform people (that you nominate) via email or SMS, you need HELP from them if it is not a life threatening situation. (EG Vehicle breakdown)
CUSTOM MESSAGE button – Pre program a custom message(EG completed task.)
SOS (URGENT) button – The ability to notify Emergency Services that you need URGENT HELP.
LIVE TRACKING – The ability to live track people / vehicles in the field with the device giving you location updates every 10 minutes.
AUSTRALIAN MARITIME SAFETY AUTHORITY (AMSA) RESPONSE
Any activation of the SPOT® SOS function in Australia will be immediately relayed back to AMSA in Canberra. They are the government organisation responsible for all emergency beacon activations (EG EPIRB / PLB)
The will then co-ordinate the activation and you will get the same level of emergency response as if it was an EPIRB or Personal Locator Beacon.
This link with show the official ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ between AMSA and SPOT
TracerTrak® Satellite Personnel Monitoring
SPOT® on TracerTrak® console: For multiple devices we would recommend putting the units on the TracerTrak® system for greater management control. If you have any government or corporate customers then this a better option.
“Subscribing to SPOT® on TracerTrak is an alternative to the SPOT subscription and not in addition to it.”
TracerTrak® is an advanced web based console and allows SPOT® and other TracerTrak® asset tracking devices to be managed all on the one account. It still operates on the same satellite system but the messages are processed in a different way.
TracerTrak® can also report and manage multiple devices far superior to the SPOT® standard console. The cost of SPOT® on TracerTrak® subscription per unit is:
Basic – OK / HELP / Custom message / SOS $24 AUD per month (inc GST)
Basic with Live Tracking $28 AUD per month (inc GST)
TracerTrak is invoiced monthly in Australian Dollars
SPOT US subscriptions Compared to Australian Subscription
<strong>ACCESS and MANAGEMENT</strong>
TRACERTRAK®:
– Management of the devices is via a simple web based console.
– Multiple users can access at the same time and various levels of access can be granted to ensure system security.
-Work Groups can also be created so users can only see the devices applicable to their work areas
– Individual history can be searched and interrogated as required
SPOT ®
– Account access is one level and allows full access to the account for all changes.
Workgroups cannot be allocated within a SPOT account. EG users login in will see all accounts and not just units applicable to their responsibility.
<strong>MANAGE BY EXCEPTION</strong>
TRACERTRAK®:
– TracerTrak allows you to set report in condition for each unit (EG report in at 1000 and 1400hrs). If a unit fails to report in you will be alerted. This is ‘managing by exception’ instead on inclusion. EG you are provided with alerts from missing check-ins
– Alerts to unlimited number of people via email / SMS as required
SPOT ®
– With the SPOT subscription you have to account for all units manually. EG work out which of the multiple check-ins is missing
<strong>GEOFENCING</strong>
TRACERTRAK®:
– This allows you to be notified if a unit strays outside the area of operation or inside a prohibited area as set by you.
– Multiple areas can be selected and allows you to create journey management profiles if required.
SPOT ®
– You would have to manually check each location to see if it has breached any restricted areas
<strong>LOCATION INFORMATION</strong>
TRACERTRAK®:
– This is provided with Reverse Geo Coding. This will give you the nearest street address as well as the Latitude / Longitude. There is also a link to bring it the messages up on a map.
– Allows for the importing of your own aerial photo for specific locations. EG mine site
– Ability to stream location information from TracerTrak into you own company mapping systems
– Alerts to unlimited number of people via email / SMS as required
SPOT ®
– This will only provide you with the Latitude / Longitude and a link to the location on Google Maps. It will not provide you with the nearest street address
– Limited to OK and HELP alerts to 10 emails or SMS locations
<strong>EMERGENCY RESPONSE 911 / SOS MESSAGING</strong>
TRACERTRAK®:
– With TracerTrak you can have this emergency call diverted to your own control centre for immediately and local attention. TracerTrak 911/SOS activations are also monitored in Australia by Pivotel, the Globalstar Gateway license holder, to ensure they are acted upon in the event of a system outage.
SPOT ®
– Monitored by the EIRCC in Texas – Message then relayed to Australian Search & Rescue Canberra for action by local Emergency Services.
<strong>CUSTOMER SUPPORT</strong>
TRACERTRAK®:
Within Australia through P. I. Plus Pty Ltd and Pivotel Satellite Pty Ltd
SPOT ®
From the US with SPOT Customer Care
