Geotrackers bets on location-based services

BANGALORE: Delhi-based new venture startup Geotrackers, a provider of location based service has launched its GPRS and GSM based mobile resource management (MRM) solution that track and monitor the fleet in real-time over the Internet. “It helps logistics business, BPO, tours and travels to increase their asset and workforce productivity, reduce operating cost, enhance safety and security and improve customer service,” explained Luv Jain, CEO and co-founder, Geotrackers.

The company relies heavily on its refined hardware and server application intelligence as a differentiator from other competitors. “Over 50 per cent of trackers in the market don’t work after installation. Hardware and data is not maintained enough, no good GPRS coverage and broadband has failed,” said Jain, an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. “The device should have the intelligence to cope with the extreme situations.

Geotrackers provides update every 15 seconds reaching up to 5760 updates per day. The device can be customized to commercial as well as passenger vehicles,” he added. Currently providing the location-based service over the Internet, Geotrackers also plans to introduce mobile portal soon. Apart from tracking, the device can also works as a two-way voice communicator.

Jain said that the device has the ability to record data even if it is on a voice call. When on a voice call, it switches to GPRS and records the fleet data. On completion of the call the device automatically uploads the data to the server. Geotrackers has its head office in Delhi and development center in Pune. Currently its service covers Delhi and Pune region. It has tied up with mobile operator Airtel for the services. “We are looking at expanding to all over India through channel partners,” said Jain.

 “The application is based on open source, which helped in reducing the total investment cost. Majority of the investment goes on human resources. We are eight employees now and have to strengthen on the sales front,” informed Jain. A customer has to invest one time on the device, which costs Rs 14,000 with recurring monthly charges of Rs 400, which includes GPRS data charges and service provider chargers. Jain founded Geotrackers along with Ajay Mittal and Madhavi Bodhe.

The trio has over a decade experience of working in leading IT and telecom companies. “The idea was conceived way back but we were waiting for the right and favorable time to launch. Earlier, Georeferencing of digital map services was expensive and GPRS licensing held us back to go ahead with it,” said Jain.