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GPS Tracking from Valor System

Feb 1, 2009
by Judi Perkins

The Valor System is a complete personal safety system that uses the latest in GPS, wireless communication technology and the Internet. It can be used for tracking teen drivers, adults with Alzheimer's, children at day care, or kids on their way home from school. It can also be used to track luggage, laptops, motorcycles, or anything else that moves and might be stolen or misplaced. And for those who want a fun or entertaining use, such as tracing a journey or marking hard to find locations, the Valor System can do that, too.

Valor System was formed four years ago and is an outgrowth of a company that has been in the fleet management business for six years. Jeff Stoker, a partner in the company, says, "GPS tracking has been around for a long time, but we did not see companies that were focusing on personal safety. We chose the name "Valor System," because we wanted a name that stood for family values."

Their website, www.valorsystem.com, sells both retail and wholesale. The featured prices are retail, and there is a button on the navigation bar for wholesalers interested in learning about carrying the product.

There are four different units. The model recommended for tracking the personal safety of an individual the Personal Tracking Device (PTU). The website page for the PTU provides both a top and side view of the unit, with each function labeled and explained. According to Stoker, wholesale buyers who sell medical equipment have great success with the PTU, targeting the baby boomers with elderly parents who still want to drive or walk to the store.

"The parent can take the unit with them, and if they get disoriented, they can press the SOS button," said Stoker. "The unit is are connected to a designated cell phone, making it easy for the children to locate them and tell them to stay put, because there is two-way communication with the device."

Stoker said it is also suitable for protecting young children who walk to school. "You can throw it in the backpack and track them in real time. If someone approaches them, they can press the SOS button." Valor System also learned through its focus groups that parents of autistic children find the device highly desirable. "A lot of these children are uncommunicative and often have a tendency to wander. Parents are so afraid of losing their child that they put these devices on them so they can be tracked."

The functions, such as the cell phone numbers, are programmed from the web-based interface, the same program that provides the ability to see the location of the PTU. On www.valorsystem.com, PTU web page also provides screenshots of the interface for the device. Stoker says the PTU is ideal for those who market to people with children or elderly parents. "It is personal safety for your family, so anyone who has foot traffic and has parents coming in is a potential reseller."

Also available is the Real-Time Tracking unit. Unlike the PTU, this unit needs to be connected to a constant power source, making it perfect for vehicles. Like the PTU, it interfaces with a web-based system that provides the ability to see the location of the unit in real time. This is an ideal product for a retailer who sells anything from marine supplies to auto parts, and whose customers want to prevent theft or facilitate in locating a stolen boat, car or motorcycle.

Both the Real Time Tracking unit and the PTU function anywhere within the U.S. and Canada. Stoker describes the Geofence feature as particularly effective. "If an elderly parent becomes disoriented and wanders outside the specified range, the son or daughter is immediately notified and can locate the straying parent," he said. "They do not have to rely on the parent to make contact first."

The other available units are the Trackstick II and Trackstick SUPER. The difference between them is that Trackstick SUPER has more memory capacity and higher battery power [than Trackstick II]. "Neither of these units work in real time," said Stoker, "but both can show you where they have been, once they are plugged into a computer. They are passive units, which means that they only collect the data." From tracing a hike up the Appalachian Trail to charting your daily path around town, they provide a satellite path of where the unit went, shown via a red line and the latest mapping technologies from Google Earth. Each unit continuously records its precise route, stop times, speed, direction, and all other pertinent information, which can then be downloaded onto a computer. Both Tracksticks work anywhere in the world.

One of the suggested uses for the Trackstick II can be found on its web page, which suggests taking it fishing, and, "tagging the spots where you landed a catch to discover feeding patterns over time." Another suggestion is to take it camping. "Find a good camping spot, and leave it to Trackstick to remember where it is and the path you took to get there."

The products are relatively new, and Stoker says the company is still exploring the applications. Recently, Valor System joined WholesaleCentral.com, a move with which Stoker said he is pleased. "It is exciting to utilize a new medium that is dedicated to wholesale buyers. It is a great opportunity to market our wares, because for a wholesale buyer, the potential customer is almost everyone in the United States."

Most of their buyers have started off with small quantities and came back for larger purchases. "The products sell themselves," said Stoker. "Once they get it in their stores or are reselling it, they have an easy time marketing it."

Purchasing Information: The PTU is $279 wholesale and suggested retail is $349. The Real-Time Tracker wholesales for $259 with suggested retail at $329. The Tracksticks wholesale for $120 and $199, retailing for $149 and $269. Minimum purchase is 10 units.

For more information, contact:

Valor System
443 Waterbury Court
Belleville, MI 48111
Toll Free: 888-286-9829
Fax: 734-697-5142
Website: www.valorsystem.com

Topic: Company Profiles

Related Articles: self defense  security 

Article ID: 912

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