LoJack
| File:LojackTrans.gif | |
| Company type | Corporation(NASDAQ:LOJN) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Vehicle Tracking [1] |
| Founded | Massachusetts (1978) |
| Headquarters | Westwood, Massachusetts |
Key people | Richard Riley, CEO Ronald V. Waters III, COO |
| Products | See products listing. |
Number of employees | ~890 (Jan 2006) |
| Website | www.lojack.com |
The LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System is an aftermarket vehicle tracking system that allows vehicles to be tracked by police after being stolen. The manufacturer claims a 90% recovery rate.[1] The name "LoJack" was coined to be the "antithesis of hijack," meaning the theft of a vehicle through force.[2]
LoJack units can be installed in cars, commercial trucks, construction vehicles, and motorcycles. LoJack Corporation claims that over 180,000 vehicles have been recovered worldwide since the product was introduced.[1]
How it works
The LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System is a silent tracking device hidden in a protected vehicle that is automatically activated by the police when the owner reports their vehicle stolen and enables the police to track and recover the vehicle.
If a LoJack unit is activated, then every police car equipped with a tracking unit will automatically be alerted that the vehicle is within a 2-3 mile radius. Many police forces throughout the world have these tracking units installed in law enforcement vehicles as standard equipment. The technology uses radio frequency (RF) as opposed to GPS. This allows police to recover vehicles when they are hidden in garages and other dense areas. It also can be upgraded to alert the owner of a vehicle if the car is moved or started, via LoJack Early Warning.
LoJack installs special police tracking computers in law enforcement vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The company's software and databases are directly integrated into each state's crime computers, providing a connection to law enforcement. A video is available depicting how the tracking system looks to a police officer.
Products
- LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System
- A small, silent transmitter hidden in a vehicle allows the police to track and recover it. The unit is hidden within the vehicle in a random location, and looks like a regular car component. Potential thieves are unlikely to find it even if specifically searching for it.
- LoJack Early Warning
- An optional feature that alerts the owner by phone, e-mail or alpha pager if the protected vehicle has been moved without authorization. A personal key fob sends a signal to the system to disable the warning as long as the owner is carrying it.
- LoJack For Motorcycles
- Police can track and recover a stolen motorcycle.
- LoJack For Construction
- Tracking units can be covertly placed in construction equipment.
- LoJack For Fleet and Trucking
- Protection for tractor trailers, semis, rigs, haulers, and vans.
- LoJack for Laptops
- A software product which enables law enforcement to recover stolen laptops by tracing them across the Internet.
Drawbacks
Purchase and installation is not available from a retail store. It must be purchased either through a car dealer or directly from the manufacturer. Because the LoJack is meant to covertly notify the police, there are no additional features like the ability for an owner to track the vehicle themselves or unlock car doors. Police departments cannot use computers they already have in their cruisers for tracking a vehicle, they must buy propietary hardware from LoJack.
See also
References
- ^ a b "What is LoJack". Retrieved 2006-08-23.
- ^ Hindo, Brian (2006-01-16). "LoJack's Stronger Signal". Business Week.