GPS fleet tracking software can cost you an arm and leg, especially if you are small business just looking for a way to improve fleet performance. That is where open source GPS fleet tracking software come in. This software is free to use and distribute if you are willing to take some time to read up on how to use it and get tracking devices that are compatible with it. There is no substitute for free, especially in today's economy, so give open source fleet management some of your time and find out if it is right for you and your business.

If you can save some money while you still get all the benefits of using GPS tracking why wouldn''t you?  It would be like leaving money on the table for you and your business and that just ins't sound business practices.

Open source can generally be considered to be equal with a piece of software being free. However, this is not the main meaning that people associate with the term. Instead, it is viewing information (specifically the design and function of a piece of software) as open to those seeking to use it. The code behind the software is available to anyone who wants to take a look at it.

The reason behind this is the way that the software was designed. Open source also means that the software was produced by a host of people working for free to produce it. The software is made from public, peer-based collaboration and is cannot be said to be the property of any single person or entity. As a result, it is offered free of charge to others to improve upon the software design in addition to actually using the software.

In the end, open source software is just another way to create perfectly good products that is completely, 100% free to use and improve upon.

You might expect that an open source GPS fleet tracking tool might have some severe limitations when it comes to product features and or user accessibility, but this is just not the case. Once open source fleet management software, OpenGTS, is about as full featured as you would get with a paid GPS tracking solution for your business or fleet.

Some of the OpenGTS features include:

• Operating system independence: OpenGTS is written in Java, uses Apache Tomcat for web service deployment, and MySQL for the datastore. For those not well versed in this lingo, you are going to be able to use this fleet tracking software in Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
• Web-based authentication: Mulitple users are supported with this feature and can have their own login credentials. It also lets you customize their access, so if you have a manager that you want to give restricted access to - so they just can see their responsibilities, as an example - you can do so. They don't even have to log into the same computer to do it meaning that there will be less competition for those resources in your office. It also makes it scalable depending on the size of your fleet (large or small).
• Customizable mapping service: As of v1.8.3, OpenGTS comes with support for Mapstraction in addition to the original support for Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth. Finding a mapping service that meets your business' needs is now easier than ever.
• Customizable web-page decorations: This allows business to "brand" their OpenGTS installation, reinforcing employee loyalty and giving your business a professional look and feel.
  
• Customizable reports: Customizable reports are important for creating historical data of all varieties and for all purposes. Developing specialized reports on individual worker productivity, vehicle mileage, or any other performance metric is a sync.
• Customizable geofenced areas: Geofencing, or creating geozones, is the ability to divide a map into a series of territories or boundaries. These territories can be given custom names (suck at “Tim’s Turf,” or “Home Base”), making tracking service calls easy and effective. You can even set up arrival and departure notifications so you know when a vehicle enters a certain area.
• i18n Compliant: OpenGTS is i18n compliant and supports easy localization (L10N) to languages other than English. Languages supported currently include English, Spanish, Italian, German, and Turkish.
• GPS tracking device independent: OpenGTS comes with support for OpenDMTP capable devices, but it is is not limited to these. It can be made to work with nearly any available remote GPS tracking device. This compatibility enables business to track a variety of devices with one single platform.

Free GPS fleet tracking software is going to require a little bit of work on your part, but if you can figure it out and get it working for you then you will be in charge of your entire fleet management system. You won't be forking out a regular maintenance or subscription fee and all you need to do is buy open GPS tracking devices that are compatible with the OpenGTS system. Just think of the cost savings and find out if going open source is right for you and your business.