The commercial applications of GPS are numerous and varied. Tracking apps are among the best known, but there are other ways that companies are using the technology. You can meet some of them here.

Safety

Portable trackers are used in homes and healthcare facilities to increase the safety of the elderly. Some of the trackers are equipped with features like emergency buttons that allow the elderly person to send a signal to a monitoring station or open a two-way call.

This system is an improvement over previous technology, which allowed a person to call during an emergency, but if the person was incapacitated, the monitoring station may not be able to locate the person.

Another advantage is in caring for Alzheimer’s patients who sometimes stray from home and get lost. If the patient leaves home or facilities, the devices can be easily located using software such as Google Earth.

The devices can be worn on the wrist or ankle and fixed in such a way that it is impossible for the patient to remove them without the key. Trackers are lightweight and comfortable to wear, so they are well tolerated by patients.

The same type of system is being used to improve the safety of college students, young children, and pets.

Geo-fences

Geo-fencing is one of the commercial GPS applications with a wide range of uses. A geofence can be considered as a virtual fence. There are places that cannot be secured by using traditional fences.

Like other tracking applications, some equipment and software are required. But the cost of use is offset by the reduction in losses.

A geofence can be placed around a construction site. Vehicles used on the site and even employee badges can be tagged. If the vehicle or employee passes through the geofence, a signal can be sent to the manager’s monitoring device, which can be a smartphone. That’s just one example of how geofence tracking apps can be used.

tourism

Commercial GPS applications are currently being used to attract more tourists to a variety of locations. In this case, the tracking apps are often bundled with handheld devices that tourists carry with them while walking, driving, or riding a bus. When the device approaches the coordinates of a location of interest, it can display information on the screen or play recording messages that the tourist listens to with headphones.

These are just a few of the latest commercial GPS applications. All it takes is a little imagination and a software designer to find custom solutions for any business.