Uber
American worldwide online transportation company
Headquarters – San Francisco, California
Service available in 66 countries & 507 cities
Beta launch in 2010
2011 - $45 million in funding
As of 2015, valuation of $50 billion +
February 2015, Uber announced a collaboration with Carnegie
Mellon to establish the Uber Advanced Technologies Center, a new
facility in Pittsburgh meant to support research in the development
of self-driving vehicles.
Uber launched its first self-driving car services to select customers in
Pittsburgh, including Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, on September 14,
2016
Opposition
Use of unlicensed drivers
Opposition from Taxi unions in many countries
Was banned in berlin in 2014
Surge pricing : Dynamic changing of prices in response to changes in supply and
demand in a particular market, to attract more drivers in that area.
Delhi: Uber has agreed to a fare cap in the national capital, after stern warning from
CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Uber vs OLA
Uber entered Indian market in 2013
OLA valued at $5 billion
On basis of app installs OLA leads Uber by 2:1
Uber – 200 employees, 250,000 driver partners, 26 cities
OLA – 350,000 vehicles including government run taxis and auto rikshaws
OLA accused Uber of predatory pricing and aggressive rate cuts that are burning cash
Uber abandoned China
Uber quit China market in Aug 2015, sold its business to local rival Didi Chuxing
Severe losses on account of price wars with Didi
Overall losses amounted to $2 billion
Uber Redesigns app
First time since 2012 Uber has made changes in their apps
Major focus on “destination”. Customer has to put the destination on openoinig the
app. The app learns rider’s routines and wil show shortcuts that predicr the
destination.
Another feature- integration. Once connected the rider’s meetings and
appointments will automatically appear as “shortcuts”, saving hassle of digging
through another app to find the right address.
The new app will have option of syncing address with contacts, so when a customer
goes to meet another person, he need not enter an address, but can reach the
person directly. Riders will have to sync contacts and request the person whom they
are planning to meet, to share their address.
Uber:
American international transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Industry Transport
Founded March 2009
Founders Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp
Headquarters San Francisco, California, United
States
Area served Worldwide
Key people Travis Kalanick (CEO)
Services Taxi, vehicles for hire
Slogan Where lifestyle meets logistics
App launched in 2011.
Businesses:
1. online food orders – uberFRESH(pilot testing in 2014 in Santa Monica, California)
2. Announced courier package delivery service (in April 2014) called Uber Rush (in Manhattan)
3. Uber Essentials or cornerstone services,launched in D.C in Aug 2014 – allows online
ordering of about 100 items
4. Uber garage initiative launched in 2012
5. Uberpool started in 2014 – carpooling services
6. UberBoat , water taxi services launched in Istanbul in June 2015
7. Uber Cargo, launched in Hong Kong in jan 2015
Surge pricing strategy:
Uber uses an automated algorithm to increase prices to "surge" price levels, responding rapidly to
changes of supply and demand in the market, and to attract more drivers during times of increased
rider demand, but also to reduce demand.Customers receive notice when making an Uber reservation
that prices have increased.The company applied for a U.S. patent on surge pricing in 2013, but it was
rejected for being obvious.
Uber and Paytm:
Uber has joined hands with payment services firm Paytm after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said
that the ride-sharing app had to have a two-step verification for card-based transactions.
The country's apex bank also announced that users of the taxi app will have to open pre-paid virtual
wallet accounts in order to make payments.
Earlier, users were debited the amount from their registered credit or debit cards with Uber on
completion of a journey. However, travellers are now required to pre-load their wallets before a trip
and the fare will be deducted from the online balance once they reach their destinations.
