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Most of the general public know a GPS tracker as a satellite-based vehicle tracking device. In fact, modern vehicle tracking devices do not rely solely on GPS satellites. To understand this better, you first need to know what GPS actually is.
GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) owned by the United States government. There is not just one GNSS in the world; several other nations also operate navigation satellites that can be used globally, such as Russia with GLONASS, China with BeiDou, and the European Union with Galileo.
GPS Tracker
A GPS tracker refers to a device installed in a vehicle to continuously track its position. As explained above, despite being called a “GPS” tracker, this device does not rely solely on GPS satellites for positioning.
For more accurate positioning, trackers use more than 1 satellite, which not only consists of GNSS, but also its augmentation system. For example, 1 GPS tracker uses 2 GNSS (GPS, GLONASS) and 3 augmentation systems (WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS). These augmentation systems improve GNSS performance by providing range, integrity, and correction information, thus increasing accuracy to below 1 meter.
Telematics Overview
Telematics is a combination of telecommunications and informatics, describing the integrated use of long-distance communication and information technologies. This combination of technologies enables telecommunications devices to send, store, and receive information to and from remote objects over a network.
This technology is widely used for vehicles or fleets, which is why it is also frequently referred to as vehicle telematics. Compared to a GPS tracker, telematics has a broader scope. However, the two are closely linked, as a GPS tracker is actually a component of a telematics solution. The telematics solution retrieves data from the GPS tracker (and other IoT devices) and transmits it over a cellular network to a central server. From there, the data is processed into actionable information within the software or application.
The presence of a GPS tracker and vehicle telematics provides visibility, flexibility, and efficiency in fleet management. Fleet managers can know exactly where all vehicles are and monitor their activities, allowing them to work from anywhere and manage the fleet more easily through digital means. For a comprehensive vehicle telematics solution, start with Cartrack today. Click here.
