On December 10, 2014, Green Field Network, the largest outdoor activity website in China, officially launched its outdoor safety assurance system. In an exclusive, all-around collaboration with Guangdong Qiaoxing Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Qiaoxing Aerospace”), a technology provider for the Beidou Satellite Navigation System, the two parties are working together to create a Beidou “real-time online” outdoor safety platform. This platform is set to go live in 2015 and is expected to become China’s largest outdoor safety platform. This partnership between Green Field and Qiaoxing Aerospace marks a new era in China’s outdoor safety assurance.
In recent years, the outdoor tourism industry has developed rapidly, with more and more outdoor enthusiasts venturing outside. Data shows that approximately 130 million people in China engage in various forms of outdoor activities, including hiking and other leisure sports. Among them, about 60 million participate in more professional outdoor sports such as mountaineering, rock climbing, exploration, and deep hiking. In 2013, China’s outdoor market grew by 12.9% compared to 2012, reaching a total scale of 38.8 billion RMB.
However, alongside these impressive figures, various safety risks faced by outdoor participants have gradually come to light: poor outdoor communication, misjudgments caused by communication failures, insufficient safety awareness among outdoor enthusiasts, and the lack of an effective platform for safety assurance have become increasingly prominent issues. Given the absence of a mature outdoor safety assurance system in China, Green Field Network took the lead by carefully selecting suppliers and ultimately joined forces with Qiaoxing Aerospace, which possesses Beidou technology. The two parties reached consensus on the understanding and development of an outdoor safety network.
Green Field Network and Qiaoxing Aerospace both agree that obtaining real-time and accurate location information of outdoor participants is the foundation of outdoor safety assurance. Ensuring that travelers can maintain smooth communication, share their locations, and stay in timely contact with the backend system—enabling prompt alerts, self-rescue, mutual rescue, and rescue operations—is the core of the entire outdoor safety assurance system. By leveraging their respective strengths, Green Field Network and Qiaoxing Aerospace can achieve complementary advantages in “Green Field’s user base” and “Qiaoxing Aerospace’s Beidou technology.” Together, they aim to apply Beidou technology in the fields of outdoor sports and emergency rescue, establishing a nationwide commercial outdoor safety assurance network system (referred to as the “outdoor safety assurance system”).
Qiaoxing Aerospace is affiliated with Qiaoxing Group. It is a private communication technology company that specializes in providing emergency rescue, navigation, and positioning services for industries such as outdoor exploration and tourism, self-driving, sailing and yachting, geological surveys, and petroleum geophysical exploration. Its core offering is the short message service of the Beidou Satellite Navigation System, integrated with mobile communication systems and the internet to provide users with value-added information services including navigation and positioning, Beidou short message communication, and interoperability between mobile text messages. The services it offers in the outdoor sector align with the needs of Pathfinder—Green Field Network in the field of outdoor safety assurance. Through this collaboration, the two parties have reached agreements on product development, market expansion, and more.
The Beidou “real-time online” outdoor safety platform by Green Field Network is set to officially launch in 2015. By building Beidou-based wearable terminal products, operational service application platforms, and supporting apps, the initiative will enhance Green Field’s comprehensive service capabilities in the field of outdoor safety, providing users with interactive location services and safety features during their trips. This move aims to address the concerns of the general public participating in outdoor activities. At the same time, it will also contribute to the development of the “Outdoor Ecosystem” by Pathfinder.