Seen as new retail category and opening up wearable tracker sector Tech Data has signed with UK start up Techsixtyfour to bring the Gator Watch to retailers and webstores, opening up a potentially lucrative new revenue stream in the sector.
Aimed at children between the ages of five and ten years of age, The Gator Watch provides parents with a smart way to keep tabs on their children, by giving kids a wearable device that also works as a mobile phone with limited functionality.
Minute-by-minute location tracking using a combination of GPS, GSM and WiFi means a child’s whereabouts can always be seen using an app on a smartphone. An SOS button on the watch can be used to make calls to three emergency contacts. In addition, voice calls can be made but only to only two, pre-set numbers. This means the device can’t be used like a normal smartphone, avoiding any concerns over web access and unexpected bills.
Techsixtyfour makes use all three of the UK networks Vodafone, EE, and O2; the watch auto-selects the network with the strongest signal strength. A safe zone alarm setting alerts parents when children stray beyond their set limits. The Gator Watch is light, water-resistant and will work for up to four days on stand-by. Monthly service plans include free roaming in most European countries.
Michael Cain, Tech Data’s Wearables Business Development Manager, said that the company has already received an enthusiastic response to the product. “The Gator Watch is a genuinely innovative and practical appliance of technology. We’ve already had a lot of enquiries during the soft launch. Retailers see it as a product that can open up a whole new area of potential, with parents using technology to interact and keep tabs on their children.”