SPOT Inc., makers of the award-winning SPOT Satellite Messenger℠, today launched the beta release of SPOT shared pages – a free, Web-based software application that enables users to share their GPS location waypoints and SPOT messages with others via an e-mail link displaying sophisticated mapping and real time tracking on Google Maps™.
As discussed in our article "Here Spot!", the SPOT Satellite Messenger sends the users’ GPS location and custom messages to family and friends or emergency responders over a satellite communications network. Users can designate up to ten e-mail or cell phone addresses to receive messages directly. Now with SPOT shared pages, users can create, manage and share their SPOT messages, with enhanced GPS waypoints, from around town or around the world for anyone online to track the SPOT user’s progress.
The shared pages service is a no-charge, optional feature that is available to any SPOT subscriber, so others can view their SPOT messages whether they have a SPOT account or not. The user creates his or her shared page, chooses what information is to be shown and e-mails a web link to friends and family. Shared pages can be password protected or made public.
SPOT subscribers control every aspect of their shared page including:
- Public and private settings
- Multiple shared pages
- One or multiple SPOT messengers to be shared
- Personalization/naming of shared pages
- Password protection
- What Information is shown
- Creation of new and overall maintenance of their shared pages
"With its introduction, SPOT gave people who spend their days outside of cell coverage the ability to send a message to a small, select group in real time." said Darren Bassel, Marketing Director for SPOT Inc. "Shared pages are an answer to the tremendous response we’ve seen from all of the adventure racers, hikers, bikers, hunters, boaters, and pilots who can now broadcast their waypoint history to anyone with a web connection. SPOT shared pages takes social networking into the real world since SPOT subscribes can update others over the web with a single button push from virtually anywhere."
For more information about SPOT Shared pages and how to share adventures online, please visit: www.findmespot.com. Also, for an more in-depth discussion of the technology and how how it fits into the boating scene, check out our article: "Here Spot!"
