SINGAPORE, March 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.
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About Vodafone Group
Vodafone is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 49 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 31 December 2016, Vodafone had 470 million mobile customers and 14.3 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.
About Mobike
Mobike is the world's first and largest smart bike-sharing company. Its mission is to bring more bikes to more cities, using its innovative technology to make cycling the most convenient and environmentally-friendly transport choice for urban residents. Using specially designed bikes equipped with GPS and proprietary smart-lock technology, Mobike enables users of its smartphone app to find a bike near them and unlock it using their smartphones. After reaching their destination, the user parks the bike by the roadside and locks it, automatically making the bike available to other Mobike users nearby. The company officially launched its service in Shanghai in April 2016 and in just ten months since then has expanded the service to 21 cities across China. For more information, visit: mobike.com.
