PRESS RELEASE:
Vodafone is providing all the managed Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity for the world’s most popular bike sharing company Mobike’s operations in Singapore, Mobike’s first outside of China.
The Vodafone connectivity will support the key features of the Mobike service including the GPS navigation, which helps consumers to locate and book an available bike, and the proprietary QR code based locking system. The GPS system is powered by a solar panel which removes the need for manual charging.
Unlike other traditional bike sharing schemes that require customers to return bikes to dedicated racks, Mobikes can be securely parked in any authorised location in a city.
Vodafone Head of IoT Ivo Rook commented, “Vodafone’s market leading IoT platform is helping to power successful sharing economy players around the world. Mobike has been hugely successful in its home market and we look forward to seeing how our suite of IoT services will be able to help to support its global expansion strategy.”
Mobike head of international expansion Florian Bohnert added “We were looking for a partner who could provide us with support around the world and the one who understood our business, Vodafone has proved to be an engaged and innovative partner and offers a global footprint which matches our ambitions.”
Mobike launched in April 2016 and now operates in 33 cities. It has more than one million bikes in operation, and has completed over 200 million journeys. In its latest round of fundraising the company raised more than US$300 million, including investment from Singapore-based Temasek. The Singapore launch is the first step in plans to take Mobike to other markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas.