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Car tracking device wins cash support(Coventry Evening Telegraph Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)A COVENTRY firm which developed a hi-tech system to prevent cars being stolen is hoping to create 10 more jobs next year as its business moves into top gear. What started out as a vague dream to get people more "connected" to their cars has resulted in patented invention which has already attracted pounds 4.75million of investment. Richmond Design and Marketing Ltd (RDM), based at Bilton Industrial Estate, Humber Avenue, Stoke, was launched by entrepreneur David Keene 12 years ago. The company has now developed an anti-theft system called Auto-txt that links a motorist to their car via their mobile phone - and which has already attracted interest from the police. If the car is stolen, the customer is contacted by a call centre and told the car has been taken without authorisation, and the vehicle can then be tracked and immobilised. The system costs pounds 349. Engineering director Chris Cole said: "We are very excited about Auto-txt. The police think it's fantastic and we think it will be a real winner. "It identifies a car as stolen if it's started with the keys, but the mobile isn't present. "A tracking system in the car then sends details to the police, so it can be followed, and when the car is stopped by the thief, it can be immobilised." The flaw with most car tracking systems is that they are activated by the driver's key, and so as a result thieves target people's car keys too. RDM employs 35 people at its headquarters in Stoke, and a further 15 are based at a customer service centre in Stratford. Mr Cole said: "We are bursting at the seams here, we need bigger premises, and in 2006 are looking to recruit another 10 people. "Coventry is the place to be if you are involved in the automotive trade - even after the demise of Rover and the headline-grabbing stories, the city is still pre-eminent in this industry. "It's vitally important for us to remain in Coventry, near firms like Jaguar, Aston-Martin and the rest, and where there is a tremendous skills base." The firm also supplies automotive parts and builds exclusive sports cars. Mr Cole said: "During the next few years we will be opening up many more fantastic opportunities. "We hope to provide navigational information, traffic updates, and deal with emergency calls to breakdown services - which would enable the mechanic to know what's wrong with the vehicle and therefore bring out the right tools to fix it. "And we are hoping to develop a diagnostic ability, so the phone can warn the motorist that the petrol, oil or water is running low." |