Zoombak has officially launched in the UK. The company makes three versions of a GPS-assisted tracking device, one intended for pets, one for in-car use, and a universal version that can be used to track just about anything that moves, though usage patterns in the US, where the devices launched in April, suggest that tracking kids and elderly relatives will be the most common applications.
The reassurance factor associated with teenage drivers has been phenomenal in the States, says Zoombak President, Kate Shevack.
The Zoombak device is a small unit, fitted with a Vodafone SIM card (T-Mobile in the US), that the person or thing being tracked carries with them. It can be easily attached to a dog collar. Once fitted, users can track the location of their dogs/kids/ferrets by logging on to a secure website where the location is shown using Microsoft Virtual Earth. Users can also have the location sent to their mobile phone as a text message after registering the necessary details during the sign-up process. Users can also specify zones that the item being tracked must remain in. If it strays outside these zones, perhaps because their car has been stolen, for example, a text message is sent to the user to alert them to the fact.
The device costs 99, with an additional 9.99 monthly service charge. Shevack says the company has secured distribution in Comet, Maplin and Pets at Home stores, and expect to announce more deals in the near future.