GPS Tracking ROI

Now I’m not against using technology to find Fido. A dog tracking GPS has at _least_ as much value to mankind as does, say, an iPod. However, there’s a lot of lessons we can learn from examining this system, should we choose to.

First of all the system is a full-fledged GPS tracking system with a two-way link over the cellular phone network between the dog and a map-displaying web site. It also sends messages to the owner’s phone or wireless PDA, because the designer of the system was smart enough to consider the fact that the dogs owner might find it hard to be out tracking down her pup and also viewing a web site. Good score for design there.

In general the US is far behind the rest of the world in effectively using wireless data on cell phones. As a related example to this article, if you had a cell phone in the Philippines and you wanted, say. your car tracked and the location sent to your phone frequently, you’d find that as a regular, tariffed service of the cell carrier.

Anyway, next point on Mr. Dog Track: Because this is a cellular service it is sure not going to work everywhere. An interesting map here from the service provider:
https://www.globalpetfinder.com/coverage.html
This map very much resembles the Cingular digital wireless coverage are of the US, and I can assure you it is optimistic. That’s OK though, most of us who live in the wide open spaces are used to the left and right coast high density population folks considering us as ‘flyover country” and not worthy of service.

Third point is expense. The price of these units reflects a _very_ good mark up by the dealer, at least 10 times above what the original equipment manufacturer charges. But that’s OK, I mark the stuff I sell up also, if the service provider doesn’t make a living then the product dies, and of what use would a low price be then?

But a point that is hard to gloss over is the monthly charges, see:
https://www.globalpetfinder.com/store/purchaseplan.aspx
if this service is operating over the Cingular network, the device could broadcast every few minutes for under 1 dollar a day. If it broadcast only occasionally when the pooch got out then the monthly cost would be only a couple dollars. This company wants people to sign up for plans close to $20 and yet only have 3 or 4 location messages included in that? Wow. Caveat emptor.

My last point is the sad, sad state of government regulation and the raping of America by the insurance industry. Notice that in the company’s FAQ regarding the system they emphatically say ‘no’ to the question can this device be used to track children (which arguably are more precious to some people than their dog ;-).

However, there’s certainly to technical or health reason it could not be used on a child, therefore the only reason the pet tracking company seems so adamantly opposed to using the device to track wandering children has to be liability issues.

Sad that something so potentially useful and quite commercially viable can’t be used to its best and highest potential benefit.