Zipcar, the world's largest
and fastest growing car sharing service, today announced a mobile strategy
that will provide instant, anywhere access to its vehicle fleet from
members' mobile devices. In the first phase, Zipcar will launch a mobile
version of its web-reservation site, enable text message options, and
announce a partnership with uLocate Communications to create a robust GPS
enabled Zipcar widget that will allow members to find and reserve vehicles
from their favorite mobile device.
"Zipcar offers universal membership to the largest and most varied car
sharing fleet in the world," said Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar. "We are
seeing more personal and business members take advantage of the fact that
there is a Zipcar waiting for them in more than 35 cities worldwide. Our
members live a fast-paced, mobile lifestyle, using and relying on mobile
devices for everyday needs. Our strategy is to meet their lifestyle and
allow them to simply find and reserve a car whether they are in their
hometown or visiting a less familiar Zipcar city."
Zipcar members around the world now experience:
- "Zipcar Mobile Locater" finds convenient cars: "Zipcar mobile locater"
is a robust GPS-based mobile application that allows members to view
and reserve Zipcar's worldwide fleet of vehicles based on their current
location. It was developed in partnership with uLocate, and launched on
WHERE(TM), the world's first mobile GPS widget platform. When
downloaded, the widget allows members to utilize cellular GPS to locate
and view Zipcars on their mobile screen as well as instantly connect to
Zipcar's reservation system to select a nearby vehicle.
- Text messaging improves member service, cuts costs: Zipcar members are
able to opt into text messaging options. Initially, all text messages
will be service oriented: reminding members of a reservation, sending
details about vehicle location, and alerting members of the possibility
to extend their reservation. Text messages will provide members with
comprehensive, real-time interaction with the service reducing late
returns and incoming customer service calls.
- Mobile reservation site: More than 90% of Zipcar's members use mobile
applications on a weekly basis and they rely on a variety of devices
for their needs, including an early 5% adoption rate of the iPhone.
With this in mind, Zipcar developed a mobile version of its reservation
site to allow members on-the-go access to the familiar reservation site
through any mobile device.
Zipcar's mobile upgrades build upon the company's web-reservation and
back-end technology redesign completed in March, 2007. As the most
ambitious and significant upgrades in the company's history, these
enhancements have allowed Zipcar members to reserve vehicles up to five
times faster and enabled the company to scale operations in existing
markets while opening new operations.
Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's largest and fastest growing car sharing service,
with more than 120,000 members and 3,500 vehicles in major metropolitan
areas and college campuses in more than 35 cities, including Boston, New
York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Vancouver, Toronto and
London, England. As a leading urban lifestyle brand, Zipcar provides a
convenient and cost effective transportation alternative for individuals,
businesses and universities throughout the United Kingdom and 18 North
American states and provinces.
WHERE
WHERE, a service of uLocate Communications, Inc. is the world's first
mobile GPS widget platform. WHERE was developed to provide consumers with
the ability to customize their mobile lifestyle and to eliminate the
difficulties that content owners encounter when bringing a mobile
application to market.
Source: Zipcar
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