THE latest vehicle-tracking device to be offered in Singapore is promising to do away with something its backers say most owners of such devices don't like - service fees.

The Tramigo T22 is described as a 'personal asset tracking device' that works with any mobile phone to track a vehicle or person. There are no monthly or annual fees to pay to an operator and it requires only a SIM card to work.

The T22 is a small black box about the size of a large pager. As a standalone tracking device, it has a built-in battery which can be recharged. Alternatively, it can be powered from a vehicle's cigarette lighter socket or connected to the vehicle's power and ignition system so that no charging is required.

When this is done, the T22 relies on a combination of GSM and GPS technology to provide location reporting and alarm functions via an SMS text message. Just send an SMS message to the T22 unit and it can respond with its location, and can give periodic reports on location, the length of a trip, a zone report (when the vehicle enters a designated area defined by a circle with a radius of a certain distance from a certain place name) and a daily report.

The T22 has precise latitude and longitude information which combines with landmarks, like buildings and petrol stations. The device comes pre-loaded with landmarks for any one or more of the 220 countries for which Tramigo offers information packs. The T22 can also be used as an ignition alarm or a speed warning device, or as a panic button to protect against carjacking or kidnapping.

'Our strategy was to create a product that would work like a phone - you put in a SIM and start using it,' says Gavin Sheppard, chief technology officer of Tramigo. 'We can do this because your location is based on patented Landmark technology that is stored in the unit. Other tracking systems require a server to handle this and therefore require monthly fees to cover the cost. With Tramigo, there are no monthly fees outside the cost of your SIM card.'

And because of the Tramigo T22's portable nature, it can also be easily carried in a bag or backpack to track children, or in a crib as a remote baby monitor. The company says boat owners and mountain climbers can also benefit from it. If used without an external power supply, the T22 is able to function for up to three months before its built-in battery needs to be recharged, depending on usage. The device has a power-reporting function to notify the user when the battery needs charging.

Mr Sheppard says Tramigo technology was developed in Finland in 2002 to provide consumers worldwide with an easy-to-use, low-cost tracking device. The T22 is the Finnish company's third-generation product and is sold in over 70 countries.

In Singapore, CellCity is the sole reseller. The device is available online at www.thecellcity.com/tramigo or by calling 6586-0360. The T22 costs $599.

Tramigo adds that the T22 is already the widest-selling GSM-GPS tracking device in terms of the number of countries and the first tracking device to be sold in global consumer mass markets. 'Our target is to ship at least one million units by 2008,' says Mr Sheppard.