<<BACK TO HOME

Auto-txt tracks vehicles through mobile phones

The Auto-txt vehicle protection and tracking product recognises the driver through their Bluetooth mobile phone or PDA, adding an extra level of security and the ability to locate a stolen vehicle quickly.

The technology has been developed by the Richmond Design and Marketing (RDM) Group, which recently landed a £4.75 million investment package to help with the continued roll-out and development of the product.

Jaguar Cars and Land Rover are to offer Auto-txt for all their vehicles from this year, the first time that they have offered a stolen vehicle tracking system under their own branding.

Auto-txt has been rated to the highest Category Five specification by the Thatcham insurance research group, the only stolen vehicle theft standard that is both supported by the insurance industry and conforms to police policy.

RDM claims that this is the only system of its type able to authenticate the driver through via Bluetooth or PDA, and each customer can program up to three devices to the car.

If the system detects that the devices do not match when the engine is switched on, an alarm is raised and the owner contacted immediately via RDM’s secure operating centre, which uses GPS satellite technology to help the police track the vehicle in 31 countries across Europe.

The vehicle, once confirmed as having been stolen, can then be immobilised remotely once the car is stationary and the ignition is off.

RDM says it is selling 1000 units per year to individual customers in the aftermarket, but is hoping for a joint venture with one of the major car manufacturers. One OEM is testing the system in 40 vehicles in South Africa, and a separate version is also being developed for use in protecting construction plant.