The Network Effect: How ABAX’s Global Network is changing asset and tool tracking

You’ve probably heard of GPS tracking. It’s a must-have add-on for vehicles and machines - live location, fuel use, predictive maintenance, driver behaviour, sustainability – just some of the bells and whistles.

Now, imagine having that same kind of insight but for your smaller, portable tools and assets. Good news: you sort of can. GPS tracking doesn’t work well here - it’s too power-hungry. But that’s where Bluetooth swoops in. Bluetooth trackers are small, wireless, and way cheaper. Honestly, you can grab about 10 of them for the price of your monthly Netflix subscription.

So, how does Bluetooth tracking work?

• Create a network of Bluetooth hubs
  The ABAX mobile apps and GPS trackers on all your vehicles and machines (or even on your sites) double as Bluetooth receivers. 

• Fit small Bluetooth tags on your tools and assets
  Attach them to anything portable, valuable or business critical. Some smart tools even have Bluetooth built in, so you might not need a tag at all.

• Each tag pings every 20 seconds
  If there’s a hub within 100 meters, it picks up the signal and shares the data.

• Any hub can pick up any tag
  The clever part – every hub from every customer is on the lookout for your tags - the more hubs out there, the better the coverage. We call this the ABAX Global Network.

How does Bluetooth tracking help me?

Bluetooth isn’t just for big operations with fleets of vans and thousands of tools. Most of our customers have about 10 hubs and 80 tags. Sometimes those hubs are on their vans as they also use our vehicle tracking. Other times, they already have a tracking supplier and just place them wherever makes most sense, vehicles, machines or even warehouses. It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s within 100m of your tagged tools.

3 reasons Bluetooth could help you:

1. You stop wasting time looking for things

Whether it’s a jackhammer, a roll cage, or a lawnmower - you’ll know exactly where your gear is. No more running around looking for stuff, no more backtracking to find what’s been left behind. It’s just… there, in the van you assigned it to.

2. You stop losing things

When your team can see where everything is – or even get a text if they leave something behind - fewer things go missing. And if something does disappear? Use the “Find My” feature and get pinged the moment someone’s hub picks it up.

3. You get more out of what you already own

Got a spreadsheet full of tools that may or may not even exist anymore? With visibility, you’ll know what’s being used, what’s been forgotten on-site, and what’s collecting dust. Use what you’ve got better. Sell what you don’t need.

Sounds good - now what?

• Today: Say hi to me or the team 👉 Get in touch

• Tomorrow: Grab your hubs and tags

• This week: Install them and set up

• Next week: Enjoy total control and make smarter decisions

Final thoughts

• There are over 350,000 ABAX devices out there, working as hubs

• We’ve got 200,000 tags in the wild

• And every 50 days, those tags send in a billion updates

• 10% of all those updates come via the ABAX Global Network - so someone else’s hub is helping you find your tools and assets. Cool right?

Bluetooth tracking is like giving superpowers to your tools and assets. It brings the kind of visibility we’re used to with vehicles and machines and makes it scalable and affordable for everything else. And when it’s all in one platform? Even better.

This isn’t really about the flashy tech. It’s about making life easier, saving time, and helping you get the job done. Whether that means hitting deadlines, cutting down on waste, or just making sure someone didn’t drive off with the cement mixer.

So, come and join the network built for getting things done.

About the Author

Jon Hearn is a UK-based Product Marketing Manager with over 10 years of experience in the telematics industry. He works closely with customers to understand the real challenges they face, using those insights to help shape products that are practical, relevant, and built to solve problems that matter.

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