Boomerang isn’t just a catchy name. The vehicle-tracking company prides itself on bringing back stolen vehicles — a Boomerang concept that has so far attracted 100,000 activations.
The technology behind Boomerang Tracking is as fascinating as it is mysterious: A remote control-sized device is embedded in the vehicle, its location unknown even to the driver. Using the cellular phone network, the signal reports periodically to the nearest cellular tower to indicate its position. When a vehicle is stolen, the standard Boomerang package requires the driver to report the theft; with Boomerang2, the newest offering from the Montreal-based company, the driver is given a transponder to put on a key ring. If the car moves without the transponder, it triggers an alarm and reports its location. Boomerang avoids GPS pitfalls with its cellular tracking system by detecting signals in parking lots and shipping containers and pinpointing location to a few metres.
“Most thieves hide the car for a few days, let it cool off, and then park it in indoor garages,” says Serge Laporte, Vice-President of sales and business development. He asserts that Boomerang and its tracking team can find stolen vehicles within an hour.
The numbers display a consensus of agreement throughout Ontario and Quebec, where Boomerang exclusively offers its services. It has recovered 2,100 vehicles, valued at $108 million. Its five-year revenue growth ballooned by a whopping 9,000 per cent.
Laporte says the beauty of the system is its flexibility for add-ons and changes. Boomerang2 emerged to target business travellers, for instance, who leave their cars unattended. But Boomerang isn’t just for that new Lexus.
More than 20 per cent of Ontario sales come from the construction market, Laporte says. He cites a hypothetical case where a thief can nab a Bobcat on the weekend (when workers are usually absent), put it on a flatbed truck and leave. Only by Monday would the foreman notice the pricey theft, but Boomerang2 would instantly alert the transponder owner of the crime.“Nowadays, everything gets stolen,” Laporte says. “Even cargoes of bacon.”
In a society where a vehicle is stolen every four seconds, systems like Boomerang offer peace of mind. Quebec insurers climbed aboard in 2000, so much that if you buy a $40,000-plus car in la belle province, you must either install a tracking system like Boomerang’s or pay enormous premiums. Ontario insurers have not yet mandated similar procedures.
Laporte is quick to point out that auto-theft recovery often leads to larger networks. A recent example in Thornhill highlights the link: A woman’s 2000 Lexus LX 470 was stolen from her driveway, and the Boomerang tracking team discovered the car in a Mississauga parking lot. Also recovered was a cache of stolen cars, including a Dodge Ram and a BMW 328. Peel Regional Police arrested three individuals at the lot.
Detective Mark Barkley, who spent six years in the Toronto Police Auto Theft Unit, praises tracking systems like Boomerang, but warns that thieves become more sophisticated every year. “This isn’t a 14-year-old with a butter knife,” he says, adding that tech-savvy mob families are usually behind vehicle thefts. Barkley stresses the importance of the technology communicating with law enforcement.“Tracking systems have to work with police and discuss things like ‘That car didn’t get recovered. Why? How can we improve next time?’”
Laporte says his 24/7 tracking company builds relationships with police and insurers to review concerns. The advantage to all parties, he notes, is that recoveries save money.
Fees are also on the minds of prospective customers, although financially sound car owners should be comfortable with Boomerang’s rates. The standard Boomerang system costs about $470 to install, and $10 a month to service. The Boomerang2 system costs about $620 to install, and $13 a month to service.
The company is looking to nudge into the American market’s 200 million registered vehicles. The terrain looks rough, though, considering it will be up against a reputable U.S. competitor, LoJack Corp. and it can’t rely on insurance-industry support. To cloud the picture, Canadian auto sales were flat or declining the past few months, a sign that a sluggish economy ripples into the auto sector.
Despite those dire straits, Laporte notices a rise in customer expectations. At recent car shows, he sees the level of tracking knowledge leading to intelligent questions about Boomerang.“Buyers are more sensitized to protect their vehicles,” Laporte notes.
The cellular advantage over the orbiting GPS satellites translates into profitable times for Boomerang, and the gadgetry can only expand. Today’s technology has evolved to the point where it can trace laptops, pets and even humans — a prospect both heartening and chilling.
Boomerang is not only a blessing for the police and car lovers; it’s a litmus test for the looming rise of tracking technology.
