Utilising C&W's cell spectrum, Cleartrac will be able to pinpoint the location of a customer's vehicle anywhere in the island, and monitor how it is being used.

Given C&W's islandwide cell site network, ClearChannel will be able to determine the vehicle's position, speed and direction every 10 seconds.

Customers can also get a kill switch device on the vehicle.

ClearChannel is pitching the service mainly to companies with large fleets, and which will therefore be able to reap significant efficiencies in their fleet management. However, individual customers can also buy into the service.

The service represents a major improvement on a tracking system utilising radio frequency technology that ClearChannel introduced two years ago.

The latest system, which was formally launched last week at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, will exist alongside the original service.

"Back then we utilised our expertise in radio frequency technology and the strength of our own repeater network for the transmission of our data," noted Deryck Dwyer, general manager at ClearChannel Communications.

"Today we have progressed to newer GSM/GPRS technology and have strategically partnered with C&W."

ClearChannel has also partnered with a Texas-based firm, Enfora, which will be responsible for supplying the hardware for the operation. This system has the capacity to track 1,000 vehicles simultaneously.

Dwyer did not spell out the exact investment outlay to bring the service to Jamaica, saying only that "we are dealing with the millions and millions of dollars", and that "we hope to break even by two to three years".

ClearChannel is one of the growing number of security firms offering the vehicle tracking service.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Business/html/20040127T190000-0500_54942_OBS_GUARDSMAN_LAUNCHES_CAR_TRACKING_SYSTEM.asp