CLEARWATER, Fla. — CallPass Tech has released what it claims is the first production-ready LTE-M GPS tracking device for the buy-here, pay-here (BHPH) dealer segment and vehicle finance industry.

On Feb. 14, CallPass became the first location-based services provider to utilize AT&T’s LTE-M network, which is built for the Internet of Things (IoT), to track or find financed vehicles. CallPass has been utilizing Xirgo Technologies custom engineered GPS Devices since 2011. The two companies agreed in August 2017 to design, build, test, and release a CAT-M1 or LTE-M device for release in 2018, which is what the two companies announced today.

“We are extremely proud and excited to introduce these LTE-M devices to the marketplace,” said Jason Ashton, president of the CallPass Companies, CallPass Tech and CallPass M2M Solutions. “Since the initial announcement, we have been working closely with Xirgo, and our customers all over the country running endless hours of testing to ensure the new devices are working flawlessly on the network. We wanted to take a little extra time to ensure this move improves our customers’ experience. The results were unquestionably worth the wait.”

LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines) is a low-power wide-area (LPWA) technology deployed by AT&T across the United States to support the IoT device growth. LTE-M specifically refers to LTE CAT-M1. It’s suitable for IoT and has many advantages over traditional IoT connectivity, according to the company. In addition to better coverage in hard-to-reach areas, users can expect a highly secure network. LTE-M also reduces module sizes and boosts battery life for IoT devices.

“We at Xirgo are very pleased that we could be an integral part of this innovation effort with CallPass Tech and CallPass M2M Solutions,” said Xirgo Technologies LLC CEO Shawn Aleman. “We recognized early that LTE CAt-M1 has the opportunity to accelerate the adoption and implementation of IoT in markets it was not previously practical in. We are proud to have developed several approved LTE-CAT M1 devices for CallPass and other partners. Xirgo is very committed to the IoT revolution we see emerging and CAt-M1 is a key part of it.”

CallPass Tech serves more than 4,800 finance companies and car dealers, and supports more than 600,000 connected devices and growing, according to the company.