Guidepoint Helps Bring Car 'Back in 60 Minutes'

GPS service helps California driver recover Mazda MX3 in an hour

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 20 -- Forget gone in 60 Seconds. The new standard in the car thievery is turning out to be "back in 60 minutes."

That's because GPS systems like Guidepoint Systems (http://www.guidepointsystems.com/ ) are helping vehicle owners recover their stolen vehicles in rapid fashion. While actor Nicholas Cage swiped cars in a minute in the 2000 film, "Gone in 60 Seconds", Guidepoint's one-hour recovery of a stolen Mazda MX3 in Sunnyvale, Calif. earlier this week is the latest proof that car thieves are fighting a losing battle.

Guidepoint received the call from the vehicle's owner at its 24/7/365 North American Response Center on Monday afternoon at approximately 12:46 p.m. (PST). Within minutes of activating the system, Guidepoint had conferenced the customer with local police via telephone, and the recovery was underway. A short while later, police recovered the vehicle in Sunnyvale and returned it to its rightful owner. Total time elapsed: 59 minutes.

"Guidepoint's use of GPS, wireless, the Web and trained response center personnel has cut the time needed to recover a stolen car from days to minutes," says Rand Mueller, president and CEO of Pontiac, Mich.-based GPSi, which owns Guidepoint. "Our ability to track a vehicle anywhere in the country in real-time is key because it allows us to work with the right police jurisdiction and helps the authorities be more efficient. From a vehicle owner's perspective, the less time a car is missing, the less likely it will be damaged and more likely it will be returned."

The rapid recovery in Sunnyvale is the third in three months by Guidepoint, which uses global positioning satellites (GPS), wireless technology, a 24/7/365 response center and the Internet. In December, Guidepoint helped a West Port, Mass. resident recover her stolen Ford pickup truck while she was still on the phone filing the police report. In November, Guidepoint helped a Jacksonville, Fla. leasing company recover a stolen BMW within minutes of the theft report.

"Having a trained professional online to assist the vehicle owner and the police is important, and that's an element that the 'track your car on the Web' solutions don't typically offer," Mueller says. "The human touch -- whether we're tracking a stolen vehicle, dispatching roadside assistance or providing turn-by-turn directions -- is an important difference."

Guidepoint, which also offers driver safety and convenience services and fleet management tools, is available at more than 350 new-car dealers throughout the United States and Mexico.

About GPSi

GPSi develops and markets telematics solutions for the automotive aftermarket. Based in Pontiac, Michigan, GPSi draws on more than three decades of experience supplying mobile electronics to the automotive aftermarket, as well as 15 years experience in vehicle tracking. The Guidepoint(TM) telematics service, which is available through leading auto dealers in the United States and Mexico, lets drivers access a range of safety, security and convenience options including 24/7 vehicle tracking, emergency dispatch, roadside assistance, discounted hotel and dining and more. Visit http://www.guidepointsystems.com/ or call 1-877-GPS-FIND.