SouthernLINC Wireless has announced that it has been selected to provide service and phones equipped with GPS tracking capabilities to Tri County Community Council in Bonifay, Fla. The Council is a private, government-funded agency that offers public transportation to elderly, indigent and mentally or physically challenged residents to address their medical and immediate personal needs.

SouthernLINC Wireless is supplying 143 highly durable Motorola i335 phones equipped with the company's premier Push to Talk two-way radio feature to Tri County Community Council's drivers, dispatchers and administrative staff.

Sixty-eight of the handsets include iTRAKjava, a business-grade GPS tracking application for commercial fleets. Used in conjunction with the iTRAKjava-enabled phones, Web-based iTRAK Fleet Manager provides dispatchers with real-time location and route tracking of the Council's fleet.

"We needed a technology that would improve our communications and enable us to immediately respond to urgent transportation requests," said Joel Paul, executive director of Tri County Community Council.

"The SouthernLINC Wireless network and phones with Push to Talk two-way radio service, coupled with GPS tracking solutions from iTRAK, allow our drivers and dispatchers to immediately connect at the touch of a button while staying focused on safely serving the community – resulting in more efficient routes and effective customer care."

Residents of Bay, Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties depend on Tri County Community Council to transport those who otherwise would not have a way to get to medical appointments or to the store for personal needs.

SouthernLINC Wireless benefits Tri County Community Council and the northwest Florida region by providing iTRAK and Push to Talk technology that enables dispatchers to monitor vehicle locations via GPS tracking and immediately communicate with drivers. This ensures that the driver closest to a client's location responds – facilitating efficient transport and cost savings to the Council.

"Tri County Community Council is a very forward-thinking agency; it is the first of its kind in Florida to have GPS tracking capabilities via wireless phones," said Michael Smith, public sector general manager, SouthernLINC Wireless.

"The rest of the state should look to them as a model for implementing innovative wireless communications."

Tri County Community Council employees have been using SouthernLINC Wireless phones since April.