Centra-Larm announces new GPS-monitoring division, StarTrac

MANCHESTER, N.H.--Centra-Larm has launched its new GPS personal security and tracking division, StarTrac, which monitors GPS-enabled portable personal emergency devices from its central station. Centra-Larm has been developing and testing this technology for the last two years and wanted to offer both emergency-response capabilities for the mobile customer as well as the ability to easily integrate new technology into its platform as new GPS devices become available. "It is custom built to integrate directly into our monitoring platform," said Kevin Helmig, president of Centra-Larm. The system presents a singular interface to the operators and provides them with all the relevant information in one integrated system in order to dispatch the alarm. Centra-Larm offers several different GPS products, but is striving to find just the right handheld unit that's small enough, but functional enough, that a child could use it. The units need to be simple enough so that "when a customer presses the emergency button, the transmission alerts our highly-trained dispatchers at the StarTracs Command Center. Those dispatchers will then send the help that the user needs right to their location," said Helmig. In addition to the company's monitoring services, customers can self-monitor their GPS units in real time using the company's Web site, Selftrac.com. "Customers at any time can log on and check the system as well as set auto-email notifications," said Helmig. "The bottom line is that you can do as much or as little as you want, but we're always there if you need us."