Tracking technologies booming

By: Drivers.com staff
Date: 2007-04-09

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Federal requirements for mobile phone carriers to be able to locate phones when 911 calls are made from them is pushing the development of this technology to new levels. Along with this locating capability comes a host of potential services as diverse as driving directions, locating the nearest coffee shop, helping fleet dispatchers, and even tracking children and pets.

All the major U.S.-based carriers are offering location services now, and over the next two years the growth in such services will explode, according to mobile and wireless vendors.

However, this new dimension of mobile phone use is likely to be accompanied with advertising, and that could pose some problems for employers and fleet managers.

So far, wireless carriers are being careful to ensure their customers are not getting advertising unless they consent to receive it. However, the dilemma for IT and fleet managers is managing private and employment-related use of the mobile communication devices they give to their employees.

"We don't know where this question is going to go," George McQuillister, a senior product manager at Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in San Francisco, told Computerworld.com recently. "It comes down to trust and accountability" with employees, he added.

PG and E has banned use of the blackberry Pearl because its multimedia capabilities make it an entertainment device. However, one possible option to resolve the dilemma is for employers to use filtering software similar to that used on desktop PCs.

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