Google will help kids track Santa on internet

London, Dec 25: Thanks to a new programme from Google and the American defence organization, million of children will be able to track Santa Claus on his global rounds via the internet and mobile phones.

According to a report in the Telegraph, the programme, developed by the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and the search engine Google, has become an internet sensation with close to a billion hits since its inception last year.

The Colorado-based centre usually provides aerospace warning and control for North America every day but on Christmas Eve they traditionally turn their attention to Santa's journey from the North Pole.

Last year, the organisation and Google developed the internet programme "NORAD tracks Santa" to allow excited children log on to see how Father Christmas is getting on delivering their gifts.

So far, about 10 million people from more than 200 countries have visited the website last year.

NORAD has been "tracking Santa" since 1955 when a child accidentally called up the organisation asking to speak to Santa.

The child asked Colonel Harry Shoup, the man in charge of the radar system designed give an early warning of an incoming Soviet attack on North America, whether he knew where Santa was.

Playing along with the child's request he checked the radar to work out Father Christmas' exact location and told the child.

The senior officer then told his staff to do same, if anyone else called asking about Santa Claus.

Since then, NORAD has been providing the service at its operations centre, that will be staffed by more than 1000 volunteers.

Last Christmas, its staff answered nearly 95,000 phone calls and received 140,000 emails from families around the world.

NORAD, which is also responsible for defending the US and Canada from incoming nuclear missiles, claims it can follow Santa Claus with their radar and satellite technology as well as the infra-red signature left by Rudolph's red nose.

Children can also follow his progress with three-dimensional "Santa Cams".

This Christmas, the Santa Tracker went live at 9am on December 24th.

ANI