GPS trackers come in two strains: Passive Trackers or Real-Time Trackers. A passive tracker will record all data to its own hard drive for later retrieval and review. For instance, if you’re tracking a vehicle you’d secure the tracker to the vehicle prior to departure and wait for the vehicle to return. After the trip, you would recover the tracker, plug it into a computer and upload all the data, thus retrieving every step of the vehicle’s recent journey.
Passive trackers are useful for parents who want to keep tabs on their young drivers, carpoolers looking to find the fastest route or keep track of mileage, and similar applications. Passive trackers come with all the necessary equipment necessary for operation and do NOT pack monthly fees.
Real-Time trackers, on the other hand, do require monthly fees. Real-Time trackers relay information in real-time, as their name supposes, sending updated feeds every few seconds to a secure website. Administrators of the website know exactly where their tracker is at all times. This device enables other key features, like e-mail and text message alerts whenever a tracker leaves a designated area.
The real-time feature is useful for a number of situations including personal tracking and fleet tracking. Relatives concerned about elderly kin with dementia or children with a high autism spectrum disorder will feel secure knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones at all times. Transportation managers can use real-time tracking to keep tabs on all their vehicles and direct their fleets more efficiently. Because the real-time communication between GPS and external devices is a service maintained continuously by the GPS tracking company, real-time trackers carry a monthly fee.
