3 Arguments for GPS Tracking

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has raised concerns about covert surveillance and government abuses of power, but GPS is a useful tool that covers a wide range of applications for businesses and individuals, and its coverage has been increasing steadily as GPS hardware gets smaller, cheaper, and more sophisticated. GPS usage can be divided up based on what it is tracking, which falls into three broad categories: vehicles, equipment, and people.

VEHICLE TRACKING

GPS technology can be used to track a single vehicle, or deployed as part of a more sophisticated fleet management system. Real time information provided by a network of auto tracking devices can be used by dispatchers to assign a fleet of taxis more efficiently, or to inform passengers when their next bus is going to arrive. Car tracking devices can also provide information about traffic conditions so that people can take less congested routes, and they can allow shipping companies to track packages en route.

PEOPLE TRACKING

Personal GPS devices have become comparatively cheap and adapted for use with cell phone technology, putting them in the hands of just about anyone. Navigation systems give directions to drivers, runners can track their mileage more accurately, and parents can use a child GPS tracking device to keep their child from going missing. GPS can also be used for animal tracking, either to observe migration patterns for science or making it easier to locate a family pet or find a lost dog.

EQUIPMENT TRACKING

A cheap GPS tracking device can be an affordable insurance policy for valuable objects, whether it is a business tracking an asset or people keeping an eye on their important items. Businesses can protect against employee theft or negligence by monitoring their inventory with GPS tracking. Security firms also offer GPS chips to track personal valuables like Xbox game systems or other high-end electronics. Churches in particular have found anti theft GPS systems valuable to protect against vandals, as was the case in Florida when a baby Jesus figurine was stolen from a nativity set. The police were able to track and arrest the thief, returning Jesus in time for Christmas.

There are a number of beneficial uses for GPS tracking technology, and legitimate reasons to monitor the location of people and objects. While it is certainly necessary to guard against the abuse of GPS tracking technology, it should not be dismissed entirely out of hand.