GIS/GPS/GPRS and Web – based framework for fleet tracking

The paper presents the combined application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), the Global Positioning System (GPS), the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and the Internet for tracking of vehicle fleets. It is one component of an enterprise solution that is designed to manage and track a large fleet. The key features of the system are an open-source GIS platform, real-time location information update, and a web-based user interface. The system consists of GPS-based vehicle tracking devices, a communications server, a web-server, a database server, and a map server. The tracking devices mounted in the vehicles collect location information in real-time via the GPS. This information is transferred continuously through GPRS to a central database. The users are able to view the current location of each of the vehicles in the fleet via a web-based application, and thereby manage the fleet. The vehicle positions and other related information are displayed on a digital map, which is made available by a map server. It is a typical example of how the advantages of ICTs may be leveraged for the efficient and effective management of a company’s resources, particularly in the face of sky-rocketing fuel costs