14 DAY TRIAL // The technology firm Trisent, based in Dunfermline, Scotland has launched a new system that will enable employers to track workers' movements through their mobile phones.
More precisely, Trisent created a revolutionary technology that continuously tracks the location of mobile phones. Trisent claims a higher degree of accuracy and a lower cost than rival GPS or Cell-ID systems. Unlike existing systems, its Trilocator uses standard, unmodified cellphones to track phone users instantly.
A number of services that use this technology have been developed by different partner companies of Trisent. These are primarily designed for business users to locate their workers or vehicles during the working day and for the generation of location and journey reports. The applications include fleet tracking, task management and lone worker protection.
As a result, civil liberties campaigners warned as such technology becomes cheaper and more widespread, there will be a growing risk of abuse. "Just because you give up eight hours a day to an employer does not mean that they own you," said Doug Jewell, a spokesman for the rights group Liberty. "There is no reason for an employer to know where you are 24/7."
It seems that Trisent's technology will be the first continuous location tracking technology to become available on standard mobile phones. The company claims that Trisent is offering its service only to businesses, not individuals. The technology works on GSM and 3G networks and is operational in the UK today. It will soon be available in other countries also.