Tracking system adds voice

By RICHARD WOOD

Auckland electronics manufacturer Navman has added carphone functionality to its Fleet Manager fleet- tracking system's Halo device and has also launched the products and services into Australia.

The Halo is used to send satellite global positioning system location information from company vehicles back to base using the GPRS cellular data service.

In New Zealand this has involved Vodafone but in Australia Navman is working with Telstra. The service is also available in the UK and Europe.

The voice version of Halo is for the non-weatherproof internal model and uses a Motolora phone handset. It provides regular cellular phone calls across the GSM cellular network and hands-free capability.

Jamie MacDonald, executive vice-president of Navman Wireless Data Group, said Halo Voice was expected to be launched in New Zealand as soon as initial demand in Australia was met.

He said use of this phone would prevent phones going walkabout and save a lot of "supergluing" of cellphones into cradles.

Halo already has a text-messaging option using an LCD screen and keyboard and can connect handheld computers to create further data collection solutions.

Using the Fleet Manager service, customers access Halo data by using a web browser-style client PC software and linking through the internet to a hosted server.

Using a map view, they can see where vehicles are, their speed, and other electronic status details. Data can be sent at fixed time intervals or distances.

The regular price of the Halo device is $1686 per vehicle or approximately $2250 for the Voice model. The Fleet Manager service costs $75 per vehicle, which includes hosting, map licensing, and sufficient data usage for most purposes.

Navman is an Auckland-based technology exporter. US-based Brunswick Corporation bought a 70 per cent stake for NZ$56 million.