THE Island Traffic Authority (ITA) is already putting in place geofencing technology, a software programming which uses the global positioning system (GPS) or radio frequency identification (RFID) to define geographical boundaries.

A location-based marketing strategy, geofencing technology uses GPS signals to determine when a targeted customer enters a boundary. Businesses set boundaries around locations where they want to target customers near their physical locations, and they can be set up virtually anywhere.

Speaking Jamaica Observer‘s weekly Auto magazine about the new development, ITA boss Kenute Hare said that the technology will play an important role in processing of decibel and tint meters which will test the safety of glass tinting on motor vehicles, as well as the decibel of noise-making motor vehicles.

He confirmed that the technology will also affect motorcycles which are being targeted for noise making, including the noise produced by their mufflers.

“We will be leveraging the geofencing technology, including in the case of motorists who are able to obtain fitness certificates without visiting any of the ITA’s 15 depots,” he stated.

“We have to protect the integrity of our fitness certificate to ensure that all vehicles come to the depots to be inspected. We are moving with the technology to enhance the inspection process, and we will be leveraging our decibel meters and our tint meters in the inspection process, as well. We have decibel meters at all depots and we have tint meters at all depots. The tint meter measure the percentage of tint on the glass. So when the new Road Safety Act Regulations become operational and you have your front windscreen tinted, the Regulations say that your front glass can be up to 70 per cent [clear], and every other glass up to 40 per cent,” he noted.

“So the ITA will be leveraging the technology and, as I said meters will be at all 15 depots, because we intend to show that we will play our role in the whole matter of the environmental issues, by ensuring that we have testers at our depots to test the initial levels.

“And we are testing the noise level of the vehicles, including the deafening noise of the motorcycles, whenever those vehicles come in for testing. The law is not operational yet, but we want persons to be aware that we already have the technology and the gadgets to enforce the regulations. One the regulations become operation we will be ‘ready like Freddy’,” pointed out.

Businesses with apps can set up geofences to identify mobile users in a specific geographic area, then target them with relevant, timely push notifications when they walk or drive by. For example, a coffee shop can trigger push notifications for special discounts when customers walk past. Even with your location tracking turned off, a geofence can still establish your general location through your device’s unique IP address.

And what is the difference geofencing and geolocation? By using geolocation technology, companies can set up their time management systems for both a location and time stamp when time entries are submitted online. Geofencing takes location-based technologies to the next level, as a perimeter can be set up around an area, such as an office building or worksite.

It doesn’t require hardware. It comes in the form of a software that can be integrated into a mobile app and managed through an online dashboard or API. Target Range: Geofencing is more beneficial for large-range outdoor targeting

Geofencing was invented in the early 1990s and patented in 1995 by American inventor Michael Dimino using the first of it kind GPS and GSM technology for tracking and locating anywhere on the globe from a remote location.