Bach Seat

There is a new pet-oriented Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on the market. The new GPS system now makes it possible to constantly track your best friend according to a report in MIT’s Technology Review. The GPS devices made just for pets are generally small enough to be attached to a dog or cat collar which allows Owners to track their furry companion’s every paw print in real-time.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger points out unlike microchips embedded in the skin of an animal which store identifying information, these devices aren’t invasive, and owners don’t have to wait for a stranger to find and bring their lost pet to an animal shelter to scan the chip.

“This could easily be a multi-million-dollar category,” David Lummis, a “pet market analyst,” at New York-based market research firm Packaged Facts, recently told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Dog owners are now more “crazy” about their four-legged friends than ever. If the recession is any indication, Mr. Lummis told the paper that the $58 billion pet products industry has merely slowed a few percentage points during the recession.

That kind of consistent growth has attracted the attention of Qualcomm (QCOM) the biggest maker of mobile phone chips.  San Diego-based Snaptracs, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, has released Tagg the Pet Tracker.

The rechargeable Tagg device can be attached to a collar (provided it’s not a spiked or bejeweled one), plus a home base unit. Owners are able to set a virtual perimeter for the dog to wander. TR says a text message or email alert will be sent if Fido strays too far. The device has a battery life of some 30 days and is water-resistant; it’s intended for dogs (or cats) 10 pounds or heavier. The necessary hardware and one year of Verizon (VZ) service cost $200 according to Technology Review. The service costs $5 a month after that. It’s a small price to pay, Dave Vigil, president of Snaptracs told the paper, considering pets are becoming increasingly “like family members.” Users can also find their pets at any time through a computer or smartphone.

GPS giant Garmin (GRMN), has also entered the dog lo-jack market. The paper says the Olathe, Kansas-based company released the GTU 10 device, a 1.7-ounce gadget. Garmin users can also set up a perimeter and receive alerts, or track real-time from a mobile device or computer. The GTU 10 operates on AT&T‘s (T) wireless network and costs $200 for the first year and $50 a year after that.

Another competitor is Retriever. TR says Retriever has similar functions with virtual fences and alerts but adds a social networking element. Retriever will share Spot’s location with a friend, presumably so if your dog gets loose while you’re out-of-town, you can help steer the on-site rescue. To judge from its site, Retriever appears to not yet be on the market, nor is a projected price listed.

Technology Review also notes other products in this niche. Global Pet Finder, is not available any more on Amazon (AMZN) as of this article. The SpotLight device costs $169.99 and is limited to T-Mobile coverage. SpotLight costs $179.88 per year for a subscription. The Love My Pets device and 1-year subscription cost $189.95 use the Sprint (S) network. The Love My Pets system costs $14.95 per month for a subscription according to a CSR.

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Qualcomm’s goal is to encourage new uses of its radio chips, not to make a hit product. These products are part of the Internet of Things. As the Apple (AAPL) iPod and iPhone have shown, people are willing to shell out a lot of cash for things, but it is in the services where the money is to be made on the Internet of Things. Content is still king.

Related articles

• Qualcomm Shows Public Face With Pet-tracking Service (pcworld.com)

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.