Global positioning satellite technology has made conventional paper maps neigh obsolete. In turn, smartphones with the help of services like Google have made GPS navigation a lot more accessible and accurate for average Joes. Car navigation systems used to be maddingly expensive but you can now use your low-end smartphone to achieve the same result.
From tracking, mapping, timing and locating, GPS has had such a large impact on our lives. Another useful tool that GPS has made possible is Geofencing but what is it?
What is Geofencing?
Geofencing involves the use of GPS or radio-frequency identification software to build virtual geographic parameters. These geo-fences can be dynamically generated or set as a fixed collection of points to mark a boundary. This can be useful for tracking software in situations where a person or device enters or leaves a virtually demarcated area.
7 Examples of software that use Geofencing
1. Cocospy (phone tracking software)
Cocospy.com is a cell phone tracker that allows users to easily monitor your employees’ or family’s mobile phone. Not only does it allow you to keep track of a device’s location, but it also comes with a litany of useful tools to help you monitor a phones usage.
You can use Cocospy to set up a boundary to limit where a person can and can’t go. As soon as the person steps out of the set boundary, the application will alert you. It also keeps a history based on a person’s movements.
2. mJobTime (Time-Tracking Software)
MJobTime is a time-tracking application whose main focus is the construction industry. The applicationcomes with a plethora of tools to help its clients manage their equipment, track workers as well as manage documents. It can be accessed from iOS, Android and Windows devices.
It uses Google Maps to help with its jobsite geofencing which lets you set a workable radius for every work location. It alerts any supervisors if any of the workers stray outside of the parameter. The software also notes how much time an employee has spent out of bounds.
3. Vouchercloud (Marketing and coupon software)
Vouchercloud is pretty innovative. It’s a coupon app but what sets it apart is that users receive vouchers according to their location. If a user is within 200m of a participating store, they receive a voucher.
It utilizes geofencing and GPS location tracking to make this work. VoucherCloud can be found on both Android and iOS devices.
4. Green Road (Fleet management software)
Green Road is a fleet management software with geofencing capabilities. It helps users keep track and manage their trucks, vans,and cars. Its features include (but are not limited to) route optimization, real-time alerts, tracking,and reporting. Geofenced and virtual demarcated areas can be set through the dashboard on the Green Road’s portal.
You can use this application to monitor a driver’s movements from entry to exit of a job site. The software also measures travel time as well as how long your crew was on location.
5. Uber (Taxi hailing application)
Uber is probably one of the most well-known ride-hailing services in the world. Since its inception in 2009, it has expanded into other ventures such as ride-sharing, food delivery (Uber Eats), bicycle sharing and other services worldwide. It can be accessed through a smartphone application or the website.
Uber uses Geofencing to mark areas that drivers should not go into. This is to keep them away from certain dangerous hotspots as well as protect them from breaking any rules and/or regulations.
6. EgiGeozoneGeofence (Android Task trigger application)
EgiGeozone is a peculiar entry on this list. It doesn’t specialize in one particular niche or caters to a particular industry. It’s a free application that helps users keep track of their tasks or initiate certain actions when they are in a specific location. The application uses different sensors on your phone to determine where you are and then it triggers certain actions or events upon entering or leaving an area. These actions are user-defined. These actions range from displaying a simple notification to triggering an alarm.
The application is catered to enthusiasts, developers as well as casual users. It gives developers the chance to develop plugins. It also encourages users to create and find more applicable Geozone features and uses themselves.
7. Apple Maps (map and navigation software)
Apple Maps is Apple’s proprietary map and navigation software for its iOS and Apple devices. Geofences were introduced back when iOS 5 was released and since then Apple has found more ways to incorporate their uses into the application.
Apple Maps Geofencing reminders are activated whenever you’re in an area. This can come in handy when you need to a reminder to buy something when you’re at the store or run an errand when you’re near the post office or bank. Reminders usually appear as push notifications on your screen. On top of that, setting geofencing reminders through Apple maps is criminally easy to do.
Final Word
Hopefully, this article has given you an in-depth understanding of Geofencing and its various uses in terms of software. What you may realize is that you’ve been using geofencing technology without even knowing. As always, knowledge is power. If you enjoyed reading this article, please share it with your friends so they can learn about geofencing too. Thank you for reading.
