Drone is a state-of-the-art vehicle control, monitoring and tracking solution from Firstech. Using lightning-fast LTE connectivity, the system will let you unlock the doors, pop the trunk, remote start and ensure that nobody is tampering with your vehicle — from almost anywhere on the planet. The Drone system requires a service package to let your smartphone connect to your vehicle. You have four packages to chose from, and each includes more features and information. Let’s take a close look at the functionality in each solution.

Drone Basic Subscription

Designed to provide remote control and security system (if equipped) feedback, the Basic package is an inexpensive way to make sure you are always connected to your vehicle. All packages include remote start, keyless entry, auxiliary output control and security system alerts. You can check the battery voltage and the temperature inside the vehicle at any time, from anywhere your smartphone has access to the internet.

Drone Premium Subscription

Stepping up to the Premium package adds GPS location-based tracking features. You gain access to the GPS Car Finder feature so you can pinpoint the position of your vehicle in a matter of seconds. The Drone system can be configured to provide speed-based notifications to the user, so you will know if the kids or your employees are driving safely. Using the same technology, Curfew Monitoring will let you know if your vehicle moves after business hours or bedtime.

Point of interest (POI) and geofence alerts are also included in the Premium subscription. You can define geographic areas that will trigger a notification on your smartphone when the Drone-equipped vehicle enters or leaves those zones. Setup for the location-based alerts is done through the web interface at accounts.dronemobile.com. The Premium package includes 10 point-of-interest locations and four geofences.

The Premium package also offers maintenance reminders, so you’ll never forget when it’s time for an oil change. Likewise, diagnostic trouble code alerts will let you know if your vehicle has an issue that might require service.

Premium Plus and Ultimate Packages

If you are a business owner, knowing where your assets are and how they are being used is crucial to managing your expenses. The Premium Plus and Ultimate packages are designed specifically for you. Both packages include a breadcrumb function. The Premium Plus package records a breadcrumb every two minutes, and the Ultimate records every 30 seconds. For clarification, breadcrumbs are location updates based on time. Every 30 seconds, or two minutes, the Drone system will note the location of the vehicle. Just like Hansel and Gretel, the system leaves a trail of location markings as the vehicle moves so you can review the route it has taken. Both packages also log turn-by-turn updates, and there are no limits to the number of geofence and point-of-interest notification locations you can add. Finally, the Ultimate plan includes location-based alerts, so you can be notified when your staff arrives at a client location.

History Log Information

All packages provide access to six months of activity in the History Log. You can sort information by vehicle or by the type of event for specific analysis. The information can be quickly and easily exported into a CSV file that will work with an external spreadsheet or database. The Trip Report option shows start and stop locations and times, based on the vehicle ignition being turned on and off. If any alerts are configured, they are added to the report.

Communicate and Manage Your Vehicle with Drone

Whether you want the fastest unlimited-range remote control solution for a personal vehicle, or need detailed asset tracking for a fleet of company trucks or vans, Drone has a service package that delivers a perfect, easy-to-use solution. Visit your local authorized Drone retailer today for more information. You can find a shop using the Find a Dealer page on their website. For more information, follow Drone on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter social media pages, and check out the latest feature and tutorial videos on their YouTube channel.

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Whether you are a small auto parts store with two delivery vehicles or run a local courier or moving company with dozens of trucks, Drone is the perfect fleet management tool. Drone uses high-performance telematics technology to monitor the location and behavior of the vehicle it’s installed in. DroneMobile – the powerful web and smartphone interface – makes managing the information collected by Drone efficient, so you can optimize the operation of your company vehicles and increase safety.

Drone Fleet Management Packages

Depending on the specific needs of your company, Drone offers three tracking solutions for business owners. The Premium package logs individual vehicle trips, monitors for speed violations and includes four geofence and 10 point-of-interest alert options. You can look up a vehicle location in seconds using the DroneMobile app on your smartphone or the web interface.

Stepping up to the Premium Plus plan adds turn-by-turn and breadcrumb trail logging that updates every two minutes. Geofences and point-of-interest locations are unlimited on the Premium Plus and higher packages.

Finally, the Ultimate package increases breadcrumb trail logging to every 30 seconds and adds location-based alerts. All three options include Drone’s standard vehicle control features like locking and unlocking, as well as battery voltage and vehicle temperature monitoring.

The packages include maintenance reminders, and vehicle diagnostic trouble code information is also logged to help ensure that the fleet is operating reliably and efficiently.

How Fleet Tracking Saves Companies Money

As a business owner, understanding how your equipment is being used is paramount to your profitability. Ensuring that delivery routes are being followed can save money in reduced fuel expenses. Information about arrival time to each destination can be used to optimize itineraries to avoid traffic congestion or construction. Curfew alerts ensure that your vehicle fleet is being used for business purposes only.

Using the Trips feature (available on the DroneMobile app or at accounts.dronemobile.com on any web browser), managers can review up to six months of data for each vehicle and look for driving behavior issues like speeding, unnecessary stops and unscheduled detours.

The Activity Log function at accounts.dronemobile.com includes options to sort information by vehicle, date range and activity, enabling you to analyze operational status with impressive detail. Data from the Activity Log can be exported into a spreadsheet-compatible .CSV format with a single button-click to help create presentations and reports.

Additional Fleet Tracking Benefits

It’s been proven repeatedly that company drivers who know a tracking system has been installed on the company vehicle drive more safely and efficiently. Safer driving reduces fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses, and can also reduce insurance costs from reduced claims. Speaking of insurance, it would be worth asking your insurance company if they offer a discount for vehicles that have tracking systems.

Drone hardware can be upgraded with security features to add another level of protection to your fleet. The Firstech DAS-II sensor monitors the vehicle for impacts, glass breakage, towing and motion. Likewise, sensors can be added to tool storage compartments or cargo loading doors. These alerts are not only logged in the activity report, but notifications are sent directly to the driver’s smartphone so he or she can contact law enforcement if the vehicle is being tampered with.

Accurate Data Makes Asset Management Easier

As a company owner with a fleet of vehicles, managing their expense can be a daunting task. From fuel and regular maintenance to insurance claims and damage repairs – your overhead can be thousands of dollars a year. Knowing where and how your vehicles are used is the first step to implementing policies that ensure their efficiency and safety. Drone can provide that information.

Contact your local Firstech retailer today to find out how you can equip your fleet with Drone Fleet Management solutions. You can find a dealer here. To stay up-to-date with the latest from Drone, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Drone is the world-class vehicle telematics system from Firstech – the manufacturer of Compustar security and remote start systems. Drone will let you remote start your vehicle, control the door locks and trunk release, pinpoint the GPS location, monitor driving behavior and much more using the DroneMobile app on your smartphone or their website. How all these features work may seem like magic, but it’s actually quite logical. Let’s look at how the Drone system works.

A Look at the Drone Telematics System

In terms of hardware, Drone is a small computer module that a professional technician can integrate into your vehicle to provide remote control functionality. The module includes a cellular data radio to communicate with your smartphone. The vehicle hardware works with the DroneMobile app on an iOS or Android smartphone or the accounts.dronemobile.com web interface to send commands to and display information from your vehicle.

What Can Drone Do?

Remote control functions like remote start, door lock control, trunk release and auxiliary output activation are just one aspect of the Drone solution. Each Drone module includes a GPS receiver that receives information from several of the 32 GPS satellites that orbit the earth at any given time. Tapping on the map button in the DroneMobile app sends a command to the vehicle module to report its location. The longitude and latitude are relayed back to your phone and overlaid onto Apple Maps (in iOS devices) or Google Maps (on Android smartphones). Accuracy is usually within several meters, so you will always know exactly where your vehicle is located.

Any command or request from the app is sent from your phone using WiFi or a cellular data connection to the Drone servers. Drone uses Amazon Web Services to host their servers because their service is one of the fastest and most robust Cloud connectivity solutions available. The command, which includes security authentication information, is checked by the servers, then forwarded to the Drone hardware in your vehicle using a cellular data connection. The Drone module receives the command and activates the appropriate function, or returns the requested information. In most cases, the entire communication process takes only a second or two.

The beauty of Drone is that there are no range limits. If your vehicle is in range of a cell-phone tower and you have access to the Internet, you are in complete control. You could be in your house, an office building, or lying on a beach in Mexico – you are still connected.

Drone Security and Vehicle Tracking Features

If you have chosen a Compustar, Arctic Start, FTX or iDatastart security system or upgraded a remote starter with security features, alerts from the vehicle will be sent to your smartphone and displayed as notifications. Firstech’s DAS-II sensor will monitor your vehicle for impacts, tilting (if someone were to jack up the vehicle to steal a wheel or the catalytic converter), glass breakage and motion or acceleration. The X1-MAX has the features of the DAS-II built into the unit. You can also configure Drone to send notifications when the ignition is turned on or off, or when the remote starter is activated. Speed limit warnings, curfew alerts and geofence notifications are also available.

Easy and Fast Remote Control from Almost Anywhere

If you are shopping for the easiest-to-use, fastest remote-control system for your vehicle remote starter or security system, look no further. We can demonstrate the features of this amazing product and let you know what it will take to upgrade your car or truck. For more information about Drone, visit their website. You should also follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Their YouTube channel contains hundreds of videos that offer in-depth explanations of specific Drone features and technologies.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.