Location based services and maps company MapmyIndia has partnered with Noida-based cab service Snap Cab in what seems to a distribution tie-up for its people locator app MapmyIndia Locate.
As part of this partnership, Snap Cab will be offering MapmyIndia Locate app on its website and a link to the mobile app as part of the booking confirmation text message sent to passengers once they book a cab. Passengers would be able to use this app to share their location and provide live journey tracking to their friends & family. The deal period or the terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
It’s quite strange that MapmyIndia went with a small player like Snap Cab which currently operates only in Noida region, Although, it’s worth noting that Noida region is known to have public safety issues and this feature will be probably positioned as an additional security feature for Snap Cab passengers. A MapmyIndia spokesperson also told Medianama that this is a non-exclusive tie-up and it is looking for more such tie-ups with other cab services in the future.
Why not power SOS features for taxi services?
Earlier this year, MapmyIndia had inked a licensing agreement to integrate Locate to iBall’s Andi Uddaan handset, following which Locate was powering the handset’s SOS button at the back end. It sent a MapmyIndia maps link along with the SMS to the user’s pre-defined contacts in case of emergencies.
We feel there is a significant opportunity for MapmyIndia to do similar tie-ups with cab booking services like Olacabs, TaxiForSure and others to integrate the Locate technology to the respective mobile apps and allow these companies offer people tracking services as a value added services to their customers. Alternatively, they could also go for an API-based approach allowing app developers to integrate Locate platform to their mobile apps.
Note that Meru Cabs currently has an emergency alert service on its iOS and Android mobile apps which allows passengers to send alerts to two emergency contacts who will also be able to view the person’s exact location for 30 minutes.
MapmyIndia Rover
Earlier this month, MapmyIndia had also launched a vehicle safety solution with house-level data called Rover, which allows users to track the location of their vehicles in real-time on mobile and web browsers via GPS. It had also revamped its online maps portal with improved map data, widgets and a better user interface.
