Toll-Free Emergency GPS Location Service Launched in North America

Altea USA, a subsidiary of Europe's leading GPS location services company, brings the cost of GPS telematics down to earth with its SAT-COM 1 toll-free emergency GPS location service.

(PRWEB) March 18, 2006 -- It's not uncommon nowadays, almost instantly after a vehicle collision, an operator at a remote monitoring center is alerting Police and guiding rescuers to the scene, thanks to a GPS telematics system which automatically sent a crash notification and the vehicle’s exact location to a remote monitoring center.

But of the 5,000 + vehicles involved in a serious accident every day in North America, most don't have on-board GPS telematics, and it's not unheard of for a vehicle to be found hours or days later when driver or occupant were unable to call for help, or called but were unable to give their location. Although GPS systems are invaluable in emergencies like these and the hardware is largely affordable, the on-going cost of maintaining communication links with a remote monitoring center puts them beyond the reach of most consumers.

With the launch of its SAT-COM 1 service however, Altea, which has been selling GPS telematics hardware and services since 1994, now provides its customers with emergency GPS location and telematics services at all times. No fees are required to maintain a link to one of its 24-hour monitoring centers for the life of its GPS hardware, and there are no communication or service fees if and when an emergency does occur.

The service was first launched in Europe when the European Union sought guidance from European car manufacturers, as well as Luxembourg-based Altea Europe, on implementing a GPS-based toll-free vehicular emergency alert, location, and response system, which will be required for every new vehicle sold in the EU by 2009. Three criteria had to be met; it would have be affordable for end-users, economically viable for service providers, and operationally viable for Emergency Response Agencies - concerned about Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs/911 call centers) being overwhelmed with false alarms.

By making emergency location/telematics services available to its customers at all times without on-going fees, Altea’s SAT-COM 1 service is affordable. However, Altea also generates revenues for service providers in the value chain by offering optional On Demand services for those who wish to use the system in non-emergency situations like locating a young driver who's late getting home, unlocking car doors, checking vehicle diagnostics, or navigation assistance, etc. And Emergency Response Agencies' concerns are also met, a particularly important issue in the US where some states prohibit system-generated alarms from being sent to PSAPs/911 Centers. Not only are SAT-COM 1 emergency calls or alarms validated by a trained Altea operator before being forwarded to a PSAP or 911 Center, virtually eliminating false alarms, but Altea also provides enhanced location, identification, and other capabilities PSAPs/911 Centers often do not have, including multi-lingual operators.

Following its success in Europe, SAT-COM 1 service was launched in North America in May of 2005 and is sold mainly through new car dealerships. Altea also sells the world's smallest hand-held personal/asset GPS locator through other channels, but with the same service. According to Altea USA's CEO, Salvatore Alessandro, SAT-COM 1 addresses another relevant issue these days; "SAT-COM 1 was developed to make GPS telematics affordable and get people the help they need fast in emergencies, not to collect data, and unless someone is in immediate danger, a car-jacking in progress for instance, we don't monitor, record, or report anything to third parties that our customers haven't specifically authorized. Our business is providing security, and that includes protecting our customers' privacy."

Media Contact: Elliot Lefler, VP Institutional Relations, ALTEA
Tel. +1.631.218.3895

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