Designed for demanding tracking and monitoring applications, the Companion tracking beacon is the smallest GPS+GSM+GPRS device currently available (80 x 45 x 15 mm) and accurate to within 10 meters anywhere in the world.

The discreet beacons are easily moved from product to product or into a new fleet of vehicles as required. The Companion range includes a variety of devices, suited to tracking of vehicles, cargo and people.

The Globalpoint Companion utilizes an embedded dual band modem to send position data and receive over-the-air commands. The positioning information is provided with a Fastrax iTrax02/8 GPS receiver, featuring the lowest power consumption on the market. Combined with intelligent power-saving features, the Companion operating time is extremely long � a key point in a battery-operated fleet management device.

"The use of Fastrax iTrax02 and the latest GPRS modem has enabled us to reduce power consumption to a tenth of our previous low power product", said Ian Rycroft, Director of Business Development, Globalpoint Ltd.

The Fastrax iTrax02/8 features 8 Mbit Flash memory to allow versatile programmability. Companion series products use the iTrax02/8 as a microprocessor, programmed with Fastrax iSuite SDK (Software Development Kit) to control the operations of the device.

With fewer components, application costs are reduced significantly. Further benefits are reduced weight, size and power consumption.

"Cutting-edge GPS technology is able to provide very accurate data with a minimal power drain. Added with programmability to achieve savings in components, innovative small devices for asset tracking become possible to manufacture with reasonable costs", said Kim Kaisti, VP Business Development, Fastrax Ltd.

With the Globalpoint Companion series, there are new opportunities at hand for corporations to improve the efficiency and security of their operations," Kaisti added.

The 12-channel Fastrax iTrax 02/8 receiver offers industry-leading performance and fast time to first fix (TTFF). The iTrax02/8 also includes support for assisted GPS (A-GPS) for demanding urban tracking.

The location of the Globalpoint Companion can be viewed on maps using the Globalpoint Companion Manager software or a password protected web-tracking service accessible with any web browser. Location of a device (down to street level) can also be delivered to a handset via SMS.

Fastrax's product family of iTrax02 Series 12-channel GPS receivers offers key benefits in performance, size, power consumption and versatility to the user. The iTrax02 Series modules with iSuite navigation software enable the implementation of position-aware features into practically any appliance.

They are ideally suited for both industrial tracking systems and battery-operated consumer products like mobile phones, asset tracking devices, handheld computers and sports accessories. With the lowest power drain in the market, the iTrax02 is an optimal module for small portable devices.

Related Links
Fastrax
Globalpoint
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express