A method comprising: by a server (30, 32), sending at a pre-determined polling frequency an activation signal waking from a sleep mode an application on a mobile computing device and causing the application to activate a location service of the mobile computing device for a pre-determined sampling duration, by the server (30, 32), receiving location data from the mobile computing device after the pre-determined sampling duration, the location data being responsive to a transmission signal; characterized by: by the server (30, 32), determining the travel distance of the mobile computing device based on the received location data; and by the server (30, 32), adaptively adjusting the pre-determined polling frequency and pre-determined sampling duration based at least in part on the determined travel distance of the mobile computing device such that: when the travel distance is determined to be more than a pre-determined travel distance, increasing the predetermined polling frequency and decreasing the time period of the pre-determined sampling duration, and sending, by the server (30, 32), the activation signal with the adjusted pre-determined polling frequency and activating the location service for the adjusted pre-determined sampling duration; and when the travel distance is determined to be less than or equal to the pre-determined travel distance, decreasing the pre-determined polling frequency and increasing the time period of the pre-determined sampling duration, and sending, by the server (30, 32), the activation signal with the adjusted pre-determined polling frequency and activating the location service for the adjusted pre-determined sampling duration. by a server (30, 32), sending at a pre-determined polling frequency an activation signal waking from a sleep mode an application on a mobile computing device and causing the application to activate a location service of the mobile computing device for a pre-determined sampling duration, by the server (30, 32), receiving location data from the mobile computing device after the pre-determined sampling duration, the location data being responsive to a transmission signal; by the server (30, 32), determining the travel distance of the mobile computing device based on the received location data; and by the server (30, 32), adaptively adjusting the pre-determined polling frequency and pre-determined sampling duration based at least in part on the determined travel distance of the mobile computing device such that: when the travel distance is determined to be more than a pre-determined travel distance, increasing the predetermined polling frequency and decreasing the time period of the pre-determined sampling duration, and sending, by the server (30, 32), the activation signal with the adjusted pre-determined polling frequency and activating the location service for the adjusted pre-determined sampling duration; and when the travel distance is determined to be less than or equal to the pre-determined travel distance, decreasing the pre-determined polling frequency and increasing the time period of the pre-determined sampling duration, and sending, by the server (30, 32), the activation signal with the adjusted pre-determined polling frequency and activating the location service for the adjusted pre-determined sampling duration. when the travel distance is determined to be more than a pre-determined travel distance, increasing the predetermined polling frequency and decreasing the time period of the pre-determined sampling duration, and sending, by the server (30, 32), the activation signal with the adjusted pre-determined polling frequency and activating the location service for the adjusted pre-determined sampling duration; and when the travel distance is determined to be less than or equal to the pre-determined travel distance, decreasing the pre-determined polling frequency and increasing the time period of the pre-determined sampling duration, and sending, by the server (30, 32), the activation signal with the adjusted pre-determined polling frequency and activating the location service for the adjusted pre-determined sampling duration.