CELL-ID – UNE NOUVELLE ALTERNATIVE AU GPS POUR LES FOURNISSEURS DE SOLUTIONS DE LOCALISATION

Location solution provider's rate of recovery improves to 100% in 2005, recovering £2m of stolen goods.

LONDON, 22 MARCH, 2005.
Orange UK today announces that it is the first UK operator to launch a new business service for location solution providers. Called Cell ID, it provides an alternative to GPS for location solution providers to accurately track device location in real-time and retrospectively.

Electronic Tracking Systems (ETS), who manufacture battery powered security tracking devices under the mtrack brand, is one of the first to pilot the product, and is first Orange Cell ID customer. In addition, ADT, the UK's leading provider of electronic fire and security solutions, is using the ETS technology as a part of its Pinpoint Tracking Services offering. 

Cell ID gives solution providers details on the Orange GSM network. Combined with their own location application, timing advance and signal strength data, it allows location solution providers to create much more accurate location based services.

For ETS it allows accurate location identification of its mtrack devices within assets such as plant machinery, vehicles, generators or boats, to within 550m.

Angela Harvey, Director, Electronic Tracking Systems (ETS), explains how the company is utilising Cell ID:

''With Cell ID we are able to track assets to within 550m, whereas previously the average distance was around 4.5km and could range up to 11km. As a result our rate of recovery improved from 96% in 2004 to 100% so far this year – that's around £2m of recovered stolen goods.''

"Cell ID has significantly reduced the time recovery personnel need to spend searching for a missing item, lowering costs and helping us return stolen property faster. It has also given our customers and distributors increased confidence that we will retrieve their stolen items."

Orange is delivering Cell ID in response to strong demand from solution providers and predicts that by 2006 more than 40,000 devices will be tracked using the solution. Cell ID is able to provide a number of services and can be used in fleet vehicles, equipment asset location, personal location solutions, and lone worker tracking.
 
"Cell ID is an exciting new location enabler that forms part of an expanding Orange location solution portfolio. It is a cost effective component that is ideal for asset tracking solutions," comments Melissa Jenkins, M2M product manager, Orange Business Solutions, UK. "The solution works with existing GSM infrastructure, requires no special hardware and can operate in areas such as enclosed parking where GPS does not function."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

ETS UK is part of the ETS Group. ETS' strategy is to provide a unique security solution for valuable assets. ETS products are already being used to protect and recover a wide range of high worth assets throughout the UK in partnership with leading security companies such as ADT.

Mtrack is based on GSM positioning technology and RF technology. Assets are protected by a small transmitter with a four year life. Information about ETS can be found on the ETS website http://www.etstrack.com

Orange, wirefree and any other Orange product or service referred to in this release are trademarks of Orange.

Orange UK provides high quality coverage to 99% of the UK population, and offers roaming to pay monthly customers on 357 networks in 148 countries and to pay as you go customers on 94 networks in 53 countries.

At the end of December 2004, Orange UK had over 14 million active customers, more than any other UK network, making it the UK's number one. 

In October 2004, Orange UK won the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards - voted for by readers of Mobile Choice magazine – for Best Network Operator for the four year running. 

Information about Orange can be found on the Orange website at www.orange.co.uk and media information can be found at www.orange.com

For further information, call the Orange media centre on 020 7984 2000 or 07973 201911