Over the past two years I’ve looked at nearly a dozen different companies’ wireless container tracking devices (not trailer tracking devices); many are just vapor ware products. Impeva seems to be best of breed with a reasonable price point. Intermodal container tracking devices are more prevalent now. Below are a few of the major device providers and major satellite operators
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- Provides a rugged device that is being tested by the US Army
- Network: Multi-band cellular and Iridium
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- A major consolidator in the industry, but its disparate products are not on the same platform (frequency, air interface protocol, etc) so little is gained so far from their consolidation
- Also provides a solution more specific to trucking services
- Network: CDMA, AMPS (first generation analog cellular), Orbcomm
- In January 2007 purchased Terion, a major North American trailer tracking player
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Purchased Veriwise, which products for Europe, Africa, and Asia
- Network: SpaceChecker which uses 5 satellites over 2 different Networks; it has a GEO-stationary satellite network in L-Band
- For Europe it uses the European Space Agency (ESA) satellites
- Uses the Express satellite network for coverage over Europe, Africa, and Asia
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- T2 Untethered TrailerTRACS asset management system
- This may finally be a useful product, but with Sprint moving to WiMAX and Verizon moving to LTE I wouldn’t want to rely long-term on CDMA; so in five years expect to find a new equipment provider
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- Network: MSAT
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- Uses Globalstar
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- Previously Vistar, now owned by Transcore which is a subsidiary of Roper Industries
- Network: Globalstar
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- Network: AT&T cellular and L-Band Sattellite (MSAT)
- Doesn’t appear to have a device for tracking containers
What about GlobaTrak’s equipment?
Comment by Warren Evans — October 18, 2008 @ 4:00 pm