ERM Advanced Telematics announced the introduction of its StarLink eConnect device. ERM is an Israeli company that designs, develops and manufactures a range of vehicle tracking and security devices.
StarLink eConnect is based on ERM’s base vehicle tracking device and includes add-on capabilities for jamming mitigation and location networking.
The company explained that car thieves no longer rely on forcefully removing vehicle tracking devices when stealing a vehicle and have learned to use simple jamming devices to interfere with the GPS and GSM radio frequency signals transmitted by vehicle tracking devices.
StarLink eConnect’s jamming mitigation capabilities are able to identify when the location signal of the vehicle tracking device is being interfered with by a jamming device. If a StarLink eConnect device identifies that its location signal is being jammed, the device begins to transmit alerts along with location and time stamp information over a dedicated open frequency.
These alerts are then re-broadcasted by other StarLink eConnect devices installed on additional vehicles in the area. These alerts can be tracked in real-time by a Stolen Vehicle Recovery service provider and give an improved indication of the location of a stolen vehicle.
The company points out that individual StarLink eConnect devices can be installed in public locations or on dedicated patrol vehicles to further improve tracking capabilities and stolen vehicle recovery rates.
ERM sells StarLink eConnect and its other location tracking devices to Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Fleet Management and other Telematics service providers.
A number of Stolen Vehicle Recovery service providers in South America are already testing pilot implementations of StarLink eConnect. The CEO of a Stolen Vehicle Recovery service provider in Petu reported that the company has installed StarLink eConnect on a cross-section of the customer vehicles they serve and in a short period of time have been able to improve the percentage of stolen vehicles they are able to recover.
ERM is currently offering free trials of its StarLink eConnect solution to qualified Stolen Vehicle Recovery and similar Fleet Management service providers.