Wherever You Go -- There You Are.

• Author: Cole, Kelleigh
• Position: Global positioning systems - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Global Positioning Systems Make Out-of-Town Business Travel Easier

For the weary business traveler, trying to navigate an unfamiliar city can be frustrating. Each year thousands of businesspeople find themselves driving aimlessly about, trying to avoid one-way streets and acquainting themselves with a new gas station attendant every few miles in an attempt to reach their destination.

One solution is Global Positioning System (GPS), a technology growing in popularity. Using signals from orbiting satellites, GPS technology can calculate the exact location of a car equipped with a receiver designed to pick up these signals. GPS receivers are now being incorporated into the computer systems of many automobiles and even designed into small handheld electronic devices about the size of a Palm Pilot. GPS units show the user his or her exact location on a map and often include voice prompts indicating which turns to take and when. Many GPS units even speak foreign languages.

The good news for business travelers is that the GPS option is now available at a select number of car rental companies. Hertz Corporation is the trendsetter in offering GPS due to a recent agreement with Magellan, GPS provider of the NeverLost system. Hertz has installed NeverLost in 35,000 of its cars in 70 major cities in theUnited States and Canada. It is now available at a fee of S6 per day in mid-sized cars such as the Ford Contour, and full-sized cars including the Ford Taurus, Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car, as well as in minivans such as the Ford Windstar.

"The North American response to NeverLost has been extraordinary and there has been overwhelming demand for deployment in other cities," says Frank Camacho, staff vice president of marketing for Hertz.

GPS systems are also being incorporated by some businesses into company vehicles. Units usually have a retail price of between $900 and $2,500, but be sure to ask about extra fees, because each additional city included on the GPS mapping system can cost an added $100.

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