Telematics Journal reports Sprint Nextel and the Inkster Public Schools in Michigan unveiled a new tool to track the district’s fleet of school buses in real time.
The district’s 25 buses have been outfitted with Motorola i355 GPS-enabled handsets. Each handset will be equipped with Comet Tracker from ActSoft, a GPS-tracking application, as well as Nextel Walkie-Talkie service, enabling instant voice communication between drivers and the district’s transportation office. It also gives drivers the capability to contact 911 in an emergency.
Developed by ActSoft, Comet Tracker is wireless data software that runs on Nextel GPS Java-enabled phones. The GPS system wirelessly transmits real-time location information to the dispatch center on the Nextel National Network to a server where data is monitored by the district’s transportation department allowing transportation officials to monitor the location of the buses.
Bus locations are displayed on a map. Location information can be displayed on a computer screen, a Sprint Nextel Blackberry device, and stored to manage the fleet more efficiently.
