Customers or prospective customers often ask for a quick summary of some of FoneTrac’s unique features as a leading travel security / travel safety app. Here are some quick questions and answers about FoneTrac.
Q: WHAT IS FONETRAC?
FoneTrac is a unique primary/secondary location-positioning service, developed at client request over a 5-year period, that is part of IMG’s GlobalSecur Global Monitoring Service. FoneTrac is usually fully integrated with itinerary monitoring, but is also available as a stand-alone service.
Q: WHAT IS THE CHECK-IN FEATURE?
FoneTrac is equipped with “Check-In” and “Panic” buttons. Our clients are using the former in various ways such as Journey Management (check-in on arrival, at the hotel, at the meeting site, etc.). We work with users to construct response procedures, such as the action to be taken in the event of no check-in (auto text reminder, call the traveler/client, check with the hotel and, if necessary, deploy in-country resources.). The system has also proved invaluable to account for personnel subsequent to a major incident.
Q: WHAT IS THE PANIC BUTTON FEATURE?
Pressing the “Panic Button” will send a text message to any number of recipients and to a 24/7, US-based, multilingual Emergency Response Center (ERC) operated by one of our business partners. The latter specializes in worldwide evacuation and can assist us with immediate access to worldwide resources.
Q. DOES FONETRAC WORK WELL IN POOR RECEPTION AREAS?
The panic alert works well even in minimal cellphone/Wi-Fi coverage areas. In practice, messaging works even though voice calls and email may fail. (As well as FoneTrac monitoring for our multinational clients, we are currently assisting NGO’s/film crews in remote areas of South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, etc.)
Q. IS FONETRAC FOR INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES?
FoneTrac can be enabled at company level and also by individual users. The service does not monitor smartphones continually for a number of valid reasons (privacy concerns, battery use, etc.,) and does not require any devices in addition to the smartphone – in practice, carrying a separate device has been rejected by our clients, since ancillary devices may be mislaid, etc.)
Q: HOW DOES IMG FIT INTO THE FONETRAC SYSTEM?
IMG will almost always act as our clients’ primary contact and we will manage issues/emergencies through to their resolution.
Q: HOW CAN WE LEARN MORE?
Over a two-decade period of international security consulting, there are few security-related travel challenges with which we are unfamiliar.
Persons interested in FoneTrac should reach out for a demonstration.
