Globalstar launches SPOT X two-way satellite tracker across Europe and North Africa

• New SPOT X GPS Messenger features two-way SMS and email for reliable safety and communications
• Small, rugged device set to appeal to organisations employing remote, at-risk and lone workers, from forest firefighters to NGOs, as well as outdoor enthusiasts.
• SPOT devices now credited with over 6,200 rescue callouts including over 300 in EMENA

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, today announced that its SPOT X two-way satellite communications device is now available across Europe and North Africa.

The latest generation of the popular SPOT family of products, SPOT X offers full two-way SMS and email as well as GPS tracking and a one-touch SOS button that instantly sends the user’s GPS location to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Centre (IERCC) over Globalstar’s satellite network. The IERCC then transmits details to local first responders to dispatch help to the user’s precise location.

SPOT X is the only satellite messenger on the market to give users a permanent phone number, easy check-in function and a full, backlit QWERTY keypad for intuitive typing. SPOT X also offers the industry’s longest battery life in both tracking and SOS modes and is priced competitively.

While SPOT is primarily known for providing SOS and tracking for adventurers including hikers, sailors and paragliders, SPOT has been increasingly adopted by enterprises and non-commercial organisations to safeguard personnel working in remote or dangerous locations where mobile and radio communications are unreliable or non-existent.

The new SPOT X will integrate with the growing number of Value Added Resellers’ innovative third party applications that support remote and at-risk worker safety. As with Globalstar’s other SPOT devices, users include:

• Military agencies
• First responders and rescue agencies
• NGOs such as the Red Cross and Disaster Tech Labs
• Resource management authorities like the UK’s Forestry Commission
• Business customers such as UK-based Northumbrian Water Group, France’s Société Forestière and General Electric Wind Energy, which has deployed SPOT to safeguard windpower crews across Europe, Africa and Asia.

SPOT X enables users to stay connected with emergency services, colleagues, friends and family even when beyond the mobile network. It features:

• TEXT AND EMAIL – Send and receive 140-character text messages and short emails with any mobile phone number or email address anywhere
• LONG-LASTING BATTERY LIFE – rechargeable Lithium battery averages a battery life of 10 days when tracking at 10-minute intervals
• COMPACT – lightweight at 198g, 166mm length x 74mm width x 44mm depth
• KEYBOARD AND DISPLAY – Easy to use illuminated QWERTY keyboard that is usable in any light setting plus 69mm backlit display
• RUGGED – Impact resistant, dustproof and waterproof (IP67)
• SOS – Direct two-way text communication with search and rescue services
• TRACK – Tracks progress at intervals of 2 ½, 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes and shares location on Google Maps
• CHECK IN – Sends contacts an OK message with a single push of a button
• POST TO SOCIAL – Link your accounts to keep your friends and family in the know wherever you go
• COMPASS – Built-in compass and waypoints aid navigation

“Staff welfare, as part of increasingly important employee duty of care initiatives, is high on the agendas of enterprises across many industries. We anticipate that SPOT X’s two-way messaging will be enthusiastically received by businesses who understand the value of communicating with workers in the field, and giving them reliable, highly functional devices to improve safety,” said David Phipps, Managing Director of specialist distributor, Global Telesat Communications.

“We believe that many individuals who already rely on SPOT to deliver added safety for their outdoor pursuits and adventures will be keen to take advantage of the new two-way communications options enabled by SPOT X,” said Phipps.

“SPOT X is a true game-changer for safety and communications for any user whose business or leisure activities takes them beyond the reach of traditional telecoms networks,” said Mark O’Connell, General Manager of Globalstar EMENA. “With an increasing number of third-party applications now integrated with SPOT, delivering added value through customised mapping and data management, organisations can now better protect employees as they perform their roles even in the most isolated or hazardous locations.”  

The SPOT X device retails at €299 (excl. VAT) with several flexible monthly payment service plans for seasonal users starting from just €14.95 per month or just €11.95 per month for annual service plans. More pricing and coverage details are available at FindMeSPOT.eu