Support and FAQs

How it works

• What phone types are supported?
• How does CellTRAKR capture events on my phone(s)?
• How does the GPS location and speed tracking work?
• Does GPS cost anything?
• When is CellTRAKR running?
• What is the deal with iPhone and CellTRAKR?

What phone types are supported?

Whether a phone can be tracked using CellTRAKR depends on it's operating system.   The following table lists common phone types and their support level.   If your phone is not shown or is not supported, please don't hesitate to contact us.  

Phone Type	Can be Tracked	Comments
Android	Yes	2.1 or higher recommended
BlackBerry	Yes	4.7 or higher recommended
iPhone	No	Not allowed in iOS
Windows Mobile 5 & 6	Yes
Windows Phone 7	No	Tracking version coming soon
Other	No

How does CellTRAKR capture events on my phone(s)?

Once CellTRAKR software has been installed on your phone and you have authenticated with your username/password, event capture is automatic.   CellTRAKR operates in the background and captures all events as they happen.   In some cases you may wish to disable some or all of the event capture on a phone or group of phones.   This can be accomplished by adjusting the User Profile from the CellTRAKR Web Portal.  

How does the GPS location and speed tracking work?

While CellTRAKR can track many things, our customers are often particularly interested in tracking locations and speed.   This is best done by using GPS.   Cell phones use GPS (Global Position System) satellites to get very precise locations and also speed and direction information.   However, GPS is not always available, so CellTRAKR may use wireless network location tracking as a backup.   This is much less precise and does not allow for the capture of speed information.   GPS location and speed are generally captured during/after each event (call, text message, etc), on a regular interval, and on-demand when requested from a Parent.   In order to use the Location and Speed tracking features of CellTRAKR, you must have a GPS enabled phone.   Your mobile carrier must also support GPS (which most do).  

Does GPS cost anything?

There is no cost to get this information, but it does use up the cell phone’s battery, so it should be used carefully.   We generally recommend to set it for no more often than every 30 minutes.  

When is CellTRAKR running?

Any time the phone is powered on CellTRAKR is running.   When your phone is restarted, CellTRAKR will restart also.   As long as the CellTRAKR software remains on the phone and is authenticated with username and password, CellTRAKR will continue to operate properly.  

What is the deal with iPhone and CellTRAKR?

The iPhone is the major success story with mobile smart phones over the past three years and with a lower price point and more carriers supporting the product, it is going to remain a major provider of cell phones for end users.  

The iPhone, however, has major limitations in using CellTRAKR for Business.   There are technical reasons why this arises and we have attempted to lobby Apple directly and with other software developers to address these issues.   What happens is that unlike Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and Android phones, Apple will not allow our software to interface with the iPhone to track user data (voice calls, text messages, email) and for location based services CellTRAKR cannot work without the direct acknowledgement each time an update is requested or no data will be sent.  

There are two unstated reasons that Apple refuses to open its software to allow access to this data:   (a) the iPhone has no battery replacement so any applications that may affect battery life are banned---and this would be somewhat true with CellTRAKR; and (b) they have not provided a software gateway to access the data we need.  

As a result, the iPhone is not well suited to work as a Business phone if you are interested in using CellTRAKR.

We believe that if enough interest is shown to Apple that they may reconsider this policy.   If you would take a moment to do so, please click the link below and inform Apple of this feedback.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

We have even written copy below that you are more than welcome to "cut and paste" into the form at the Apple site.

My company is interested in using CellTRAKR software that allows business administrators to access phone activity including call detail records, text messages, email, and GPS information including location and speed.   When I asked CellTRAKR about using iPhones, they informed me that the iPhone won’t work with CellTRAKR as the iOS does not allow for this type of information to be accessed by CellTRAKR software.  

I would appreciate you looking into this matter and allowing for iPhone to be used with CellTRAKR as a productivity and safety tool for businesses.

Account Setup

• What are the first steps?
• How do I download CellTRAKR?
• How can I monitor data collected from the tracked phones on my account?
• Is CellTRAKR customizable?

What are the first steps?

Two critical things must happen for CellTRAKR to function properly, and be a useful and effective tool:

1) Establish a list of Users - Sign Up for a CellTRAKR account, and tell us about the users you want to set up.   This can be done by using the CellTRAKR Web Portal and navigating to Settings > Users.   You can also import a list of users, or sync automatically with a CRM system.   Each user will be given a unique CellTRAKR Username and Password and need to be assigned a User Profile.  

2) Install CellTRAKR on All Phones - CellTRAKR software must be installed on all Tracked phones.   Once installed be sure to login to each phone with the Username and Password provided for that phone's user.   The CellTRAHR phone client is essential to gathering event, location, and speed data.  

How do I download CellTRAKR?

Your Administrator may send you email instructions or a text message link to install CellTRAKR on your phone.   Alternately, you can browse to one of the following locations from your phone to install the CellTRAKR client:  

• Android - http://www.proximiti.com/cdr/CellTRAKR.apk
• BlackBerry (installer) - http://www.proximiti.com/cdr/CellTRAKR.jad
• Windows Mobile - http://www.proximiti.com/cdr/CellTRAKR.cab

If you have any trouble with installation, please Contact Us for assistance.  

How can I monitor data collected from the tracked phones on my account?

There are 3 basic options for monitoring the activity of tracked users:

1) From your PC - The secure CellTRAKR Web Portal allows you to monitor from any internet connected PC.   It also allows you to manage your account and tailor CellTRAKR to meet your exact needs.   Visit the CellTRAKR Web Portal and login with your CellTRAKR Username and Password.   Only Admin level users will have access to the web portal monitoring functions.   The Dashboard page allows you to view a summary of user activity and location.  

2) Recieve Alerts - When offending behavior occurs, get alerted automatically.   For example, if you have rules against texting and driving each instance of a user exceeding the configured speed while texting will generate a notification to the appropriate Administrator(s).   Notifications can be sent via email or text message.  

3) Receive Scheduled Reports - Reports are sent on a recurring basis either Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.   Visit the CellTRAKR Web Portal to adjust your Report settings.   After logging in, go to the Setttings tab (along the top bar) and click Reports in the left-hand menu.   Add one or more reports to be sent via email.  

Is CellTRAKR customizable?

Yes.   Each user of the system has a "User Profile" which is basically a group of configuration settings that controls how CellTRAKR behaves on their phone.   The User Profile can be viewed and modified by visiting the CellTRAKR Web Portal under Settings > User Profiles.   The Users page tells you which User Profile each member belongs to.   Making changes to the User Profile will affect all users that belong to that User Profile.   You can add new User Profiles or modify existing ones to meet your specific needs.  

Troubleshooting

• Why is my phone activity not being tracked?
• Why are my GPS lcoations not showing up?
• How do I know if my cell phone is GPS capable?
• How do I know if my GPS and wireless network location services are on?
• Why don’t I always get a GPS location?
• Why do I sometimes get strange locations and speeds?
• How can I get support?

Why is my phone activity not being tracked?

Three things are required to track phone activity:

• Install CellTRAKR software on supported phone.
• Login with valid Username and Password.
• User must have tracking option(s) turned on.

If you are still having problems, please Contact Us for assistance.

Why are my GPS lcoations not showing up?

Here are the basic requirements for GPS location tracking:

• GPS capable phone and carrier
• GPS function enabled on phone
• CellTRAKR software installed on phone being tracked
• User logged into CellTRAKR
• Location tracking turned on for your user

If you are still having problems, please Contact Us for assistance.

How do I know if my cell phone is GPS capable?

You can certainly ask your carrier, but the easiest way may be to go to your settings and see if there are GPS settings.   If there are not, then your phone is most likely is not GPS capable.   See the next questions for information about your settings.  

How do I know if my GPS and wireless network location services are on?

Go to your phone settings page and look for location related settings.   These must be turned on for GPS location to work properly:

• View typical Android location settings page
• View typical Blackberry location settings page

Why don’t I always get a GPS location?

GPS requires clear access to the sky so that the phone can communicate with the GPS satellites.   If you are in a building, particularly if you are away from a window, then it is very likely tht GPS is unavailable at that moment.   This is why we use wireless network location services as a backup.  

Why do I sometimes get strange locations and speeds?

The GPS chip in your cell phone uses satellite information to calculate location, speed and direction.   Occasionally, the information it receives is incomplete or incorrect.   CellTRAKR filters out obviously bad locations, but we can’t spot all of them.   When in doubt, we feel it is better to publish a suspect location rather than not publish a location that you may very well need to see.  

How can I get support?

Contact Us anytime.  

User Manuals

• CRM Administrators Guide
• CRM User Guide