In Choosing a GPS Provider, it's a must that...

Fleet management is a complex task.

Photo from Flickr.com  All rights reserved by FormerWMDriver

Addressing the concerns of fleet management with the proper use of technology is not a problem if the system and technology provider is on top-grade.

What technology offers to fleet management is the advantageous use of GPS, and a proper choice of GPS software and service provider will surely be beneficial to an industry.

Choosing which GPS company to provide your GPS needs is not easy, for it require a lot of considerations:

1. Is the GPS company tried and tested?
To know if the company is a check in this requirement, check out the number of years the company has been operating. Decades of service in GPS field in the Philippines reflects it to be one of the pioneering companies. Always remember,  "the older, the better".

2. Know about the company's client-partners
Key players in Philipine Business Community are such big names and knowing which company is their GPS provider will let you see how credible their GPS provider is. Of course, a successful company is backed up by great providers, too.

3. Be open for trial from different GPS providers
With this step, you'll be sure which is the best among the providers. Including the service and fees. After all, it's you who'll decide which among the providers is to be chosen.

Considerations are not limited to what are mentioned above, but these core considerations will surely help you make the best choice of GPS provider.

GPS Application vs GPS Tracking Device

H61 Boeing GPS-12 Satellite Source: Flickr.com

Navigation tools which primarily uses GPS has been used in the Philippines for a relatively long time. but counting the years of GPS usage doesn't mean that it is widely used. The emergence of GPS applications in android phones has helped on GPS' familiarity among people. These applications should be clarified to be supplemental for a GPS need but can not replace a real GPS device with a specialized system.

In reality, companies and even individuals aim to get GPS device for different purposes - fleet management, security, vehicle tracking, and the sort. These special needs are the things which GPS Applications are limited to provide.

As an individual wrote on her Advantages Of A Vehicle Tracking System blog, she stated:

GPS tracking does not just provide you with important information on your own business’ assets, but is another great way to prevent your employees through committing thievery.

If you are a business owner, you would certainly be nicely practiced in cutting down on the costs sustained because of your business such as shopping around for the best prices, reducing staff hours, avoiding unneeded purchases, and so on. VehicleMonitoring System is promoting to be probably the most effective fleet management tools which help in reducing fuel costs. You simply obtain the data and you will know exactly what lengths you went, how long it took you and where you proceeded to go.

With the functions and capabilities of a GPS device, no GPS Application on Android or any Smart Phone can perform better than it.

GPS Technology in the Philippines

Image from Navstar Title: Navstar Catalog #: 08_001372 Description: GPS Satellite Format: Glossy Photo Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

In the Philippines, only few companies were able to develop and maintain products and services which primarily utilize the Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and Telemetry System.


Tracking and management system through the GPS technology has been helpful to most industries for more than a decade now. It is a misconception for some that GPS technology is a newbie in the country since pioneer companies has been operating and supporting the key Philippine business players longer than what people think.


Nowadays, GPS utilization in the Philippines by businesses and individuals significantly increases as the need and benefits become more and more essential. Partnership with companies which commercially offer digital maps, asset tracking and monitoring systems will greatly help an industry especially those which need Fleet Management, Vehicle Tracking, and Security assistance.

Webcast Technologies, Inc., leading in GPS development

Webcast Technologies, Inc. (WTI) is the pioneer company in providing Global Positioning System (GPS) and GSM-based products and services; specializing in integrated positioning solutions, customized mapping and wireless connectivity applications; and in providing telemetry solutions that handles the monitoring and management resources.

WTI is a 100% Filipino-owned technology-based company operating across the Philippines. WTI is incorporated in August 2000, for more than a decade, WTI continuously strengthens and consistently supports the key members of the Philippine business community, with its mantra, “WINNING THROUGH INNOVATION”

WTI's State-of-the-Art Server

WTI specializes in technology, specifically in providing integrated positioning solutions which primarily utilize the GPS, Geographic Information System (GIS), and Telemetry System. Research and development, and core-technologies including GPS devices and GIS are done in-house. These technologies have been successfully integrated with GSM and the Internet to make businesses cost-effective and deliver accurate information crucial to different types of industry.

WTI products are locally designed and assembled, allowing design flexibility to fit client specific needs.

With WTI, managing assets has never been easy.

Waze GPS Application and it's Ways

Waze is a GPS navigation application for smartphones, which has been featured in The New York Times and on the iTunes app store. Waze is significantly helpful since its navigation capacity depends on a user-generated content created by a community of drivers who log in their trip/travel history through the application.


Waze GPS application is integrated with various social media features like Foursquare check-ins (where you get a badge) which can be shared among facebook friends. According to JP Loh's blog,

 "The act of driving with Waze turned on–wazing–is challenged by incorporating a scoring mechanism by driving around with Waze. The more you drive, the more points you get. You also get the chance to encounter bonuses, for example, cookies on roads you’ve never driven before. It’s just like a real-life driving version of Pac-Man (called road munching)."

Loh also added why Wazing among the Filipino drivers is encouraged. Below are the reasons:

We need more wazers. More people driving means better traffic updates. Running the app while you drive sends traffic automatically. The app is designed to operate hands free and there’s an option to send data anonymously. Once you sign up, please join the Philippine Wazers group.

 

We need more mappers. The Philippine map on Waze needs A LOT of work. I’ve spent a sleepless night updating the Makati area and surely the job can’t be done by one man. All you need to participate is a computer with internet access. Yes, mapping is done on a PC with Cartouche, the editor.

 

 We need more Area Managers. As more people drive and use Waze, new roads are added to the system which needs to be labelled and updated accordingly in addition to the current ones uploaded. See the steps to become an area manager to update the map without having to drive on the road you want to edit. Do check out the naming convention and standards too.