GPS Tracking ROI

Spacenet Inc. is working with Verizon Business to deploy a custom satellite network for the U.S. Postal Service. The satellite network will provide high performance broadband communications for over 5,000 Postal Service sites in the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. In addition, the satellite network will support on-demand back-up communications for a number of larger USPS facilities, as well as portable communications for the US Postal Inspection Service fleet of more than 20 incident response vehicles…. Read more about a cellular company who recognizes that cellular isn’t always the answer here.

Day after day I sift through news releases on the order of this one and click on “delete”, because I see them as just another flawed cellular boondoggle.  Communications in general and GPS tracking in particular can not always be done satisfactorily via cellular networks … CDMA, GSM, GPRS, 3D, etc.

“Dumb” cell companies and “anything for a buck” GPS tracking providers will, at time, try to convince clients that the cellular networks are ubiquitous and services based on cellular technology only will serve everyone, but this just ain’t necessarily so.

One of the real strengths of the United States which many citizens take for granted is the “Post office” … more accurately the United States Postal Service.  Unlike certain business who have the luxury of “cherry picking” regarding which customers they serve, the USPS is required to offer service to all Americans .. and this requires serving areas which the “in crowd” refers to as “flyover country”.  Just because you live in New Mexico or Montana or rural Mississippi doesn’t mean you are any less a citizen or that you are required to accept less than adequate service.

The cellular network, however is a business, pure and simple.  It’s economically not feasible to put up enough cellular nodes to insure adequate coverage of every square mile in the US.  Instead of trying to make a “one size fits all” solution work in areas where it can’t work, Verizon has used their head and partnered with a satellite data provider so that they can actually serve the customer rather than offer up excuses.  My hat is off to them.

If you are thinking about GPS tracking … and you should be .. remember that cellular-based service may serve you excellently in areas where cell coverage is acceptable … but it will not and likely never will serve everywhere … don’t buy a cell-based GPS tracking system without testing it where all your vehicles travel.  It’s false economy to ignore the laws of physics and geography.

It would be nice if I could spend the time and research money I devote to this blog for free … but I can’t.  I am just an individual person who does this out of a love for the industry and the technology.  So, I accept advertising to pay the inevitable server hosting, Internet service provider fees and so on.  These fine folks advertise here to pay the freight and I appreciate it.  Pay them a visit if you have need of their services.

Also, this Internet thing is all about advertising.  If you have a blog or website and wish someone was paying something to defray your costs, you can Sign up for AdSense.    It’s free, painless, can bring real income and even more important, at least to me, is that it will provide links of interest to your readers.  Some people believe one should limit reader’s choices to “click away”  from your website, and I suppose there are business models that this makes sense for.  But I exists to provide information and help to people interested in GPS tracking, so if they get that help by clicking on another site, my goal has been met … it’s a big Internet out there and I believe there’s enough to go around.

If you want to get traffic to your site you can do the opposite and Target a specific audience. In a specialized field like GPS Tracking it’s very hard to find places to advertise that are going to attract just the specific folks you want to promote your product to.  With AdWords you can advertise only on specific sites you feel will be of value … it works, I assure you.

If you want a product reviewed you can also Get Reviewed by this blog for $60 at ReviewMe! It seems to pay off for a lot of people … why not you?  

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Interesting bit of GPS Tracking technology news I came across on the 28th of September here:

WASHINGTON – U.S. and Mexican transportation officials are planning to use a satellite-based vehicle tracking system from Qualcomm to keep an eye on commercial carriers from both countries participating in a cross-border trucking experiment….

I really have mixed emotions on this effort.  In one respect I applaud it heartily.  The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), charged with regulating and promoting safety of interstate trucking, whom I have critiqued before as a do-nothing lackey of “big trucking” has actually taken a step toward being an action agency instead of an ‘after the fact” paperwork mill.  I heartily applaud the safety and regulatory actions behind this initiative.

On the other hand, I smell, very strongly, the detestable stink of government-sponsored racial/ethnic discrimination behind this move.  The idea of making sure that foreign trucks comply with US safety rules is, of course, on the face of the issue laudable.  yet thousands and thousands of Canadian r=trucks cross the border daily … shifting from significantly different Canadian safety regulations to US rules at the border, competing head to head with US trucking companies, and ‘taking jobs from US truckers”, if the bleating of the Teamster’s Union are to be believed.

Yet the US government doesn’t track a single Canadian truck for compliance with US safety and commerce laws.  But we need to track each and every Mexican driver/truck?  What if the Canadian driver happens to be named Sanchez?

I’m a true-blue American.  I’m a former long-term government employer and a decorated military combat vet.  But just because I love my country and am proud of it in most cases, doesn’t mean I will overlook issues which truly stink of racial inequality.  Most Americans today who rail against “Immigrants” are really railing against Hispanics .. in particularly Mexicans … but they don’t have the courage to let their true feelings show.  In this case we even cement this disgusting trend under the funding and auspices of the Federal Government.  Sad indeed.