BEIJING, Dec. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the northwestern part of Western Europe, there is a country whose people have a fondness for cycling as a form of short-distance transportation. The number of country's bicycles even exceeds its total population. This country is the Netherlands, also known as "bicycle kingdom". With the European Union's carbon emission standards officially established in recent years, as well as the promotion of green and low-carbon transportation worldwide, a trend for intelligent short-distance travel has also emerged in this traditional "bicycle kingdom", Self-balancing scooter, e-KickScooterr, and e-Moped have become common trendy items on the streets of the Netherlands.
Notably, at the Scooter Centrum Reeuwijk, a well-known electric two-wheeler media and e-commerce platform in the Netherlands, four out of ten are made by Segway-Ninebot. As a representative in the field of smart hardware for short-distance travel and service robots, Segway-Ninebot, with its products such as e-KickScooter and e-Moped, has provided services to consumers in over 100 countries and regions around the world, asserting its prominence in this sector.
According to Segway-Ninebot's financial report of 2022, the company achieved a business revenue of 14.2 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 10.7%. The net profit attributed to the parent company was 63.27 billion USD, up 9.73% year-on-year. In the electric scooter category, where it has long been an industry leader, Segway-Ninebot has to date achieved a global cumulative shipment of more than 12 million e-KickScooter. The intelligent electric two-wheeler business, which was formally entered at the end of 2019, also achieved the highest sales of e-Moped in the nation in 2022. Furthermore, by this August, Segway-Ninebot has shipped over 2 million e-KickScooter, outperforming its competitors as the fastest to reach this milestone in the industry. Therefore, Segway-Ninebot has emerged as the hallmark of e-Moped.
Over the years, Segway-Ninebot has garnered market recognition through extensive technological advancements and R&D, resulting in substantial financial returns. Committed to creating unique value and experiences for customers, Segway-Ninebot cooperated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create Internet of Vehicles(IoV) and big data analytics platform, which are essential for delivering exclusive value and innovative experience to customers. Segway-Ninebot delves deep into data, focuses on long-term refinement, and brings innovative experiences to users, driving the intelligent transformation of short-distance transportation and robot products.
Pioneering Innovation Beyond Borders: A Journey Anchored in R&D
"Democratization of technology, a product truly fulfills its epoch-making mission when it becomes accessible to everyone, thereby gaining heightened vibrancy. " Mr. Gao stated. Beginning with the electric balancing scooter, Segway-Ninebot continuously refines the details in innovation and technology. By the first half of 2023, Segway-Ninebot has obtained 601 patent authorizations worldwide. As a global enterprise, having mastery over the core technologies of the entire industrial chain gives Segway-Ninebot a natural technological advantage when expanding into global markets. This influence also allows the company to fully utilize existing platform resources to refine the product strength when entering other tracks, providing users with a more comfortable, safe, and cost-effective option.
Establishing a Market Presence with Products that Have a Human Touch
When discussing the product pipeline, Mr. Gao explained how "intelligence" is used as a key point to accomplish Segway-Ninebot's grand strategic layout, "What is true intelligence? True intelligence must be something that, once you've used it, you can't go back to the old ways. That's what we consider to be genuinely intelligent."
Indeed, in today's consumer goods market, consumer habits will become a crucial factor following quality and price. The formation of these habits largely depends on whether the product can break away from old constraints and complexities, allowing users to enjoy a more convenient lifestyle. Consequently, the functional attributes of products begin to iterate towards intelligence.
Taking the electric two-wheeler as an example, Segway-Ninebot has developed an intelligent system called "RideyGo! " allowing interactions between users and vehicles. It not only ensures a good riding experience, but also establishes a new logic for interactions. Like a soulmate, the system understands you by sensing your status. For instance, when a rider approaches the vehicle, there's no need to unlock it; simply sitting down is enough, as the pressure sensor in the seat can detect that the rider is in place. The final step is to fold up the kickstand, and the sensor on it informs the electric vehicle that everything is ready, allowing the rider to twist the throttle and enjoy the journey. When the sensor detects that the driver has left, the vehicle can lock itself automatically, all without the need for keys or smartphone control. In addition to this, the system includes multiple detections for the vehicle's status. If the vehicle experiences a severe impact or tilts over, and the system determines it's an accident, it will send a text message to a preset emergency contact, greatly enhancing the rider's safety. Mr. Gao comments: "Users are the smartest; they know which designs truly make improvements. The user-friendly designs demonstrate their power especially in some uncommon scenarios. Intelligence is not about cold technology; it should make users feel warm."
Innovative Experiences Powered by the IoV and Data Analytics Platforms
"Segway-Ninebot's products, including those for short-distance travel and service robots, share a common groundwork: intelligent mobility", Mr. Gao elaborated on the product development logic of Segawy-Ninebot: "All the algorithms of these products, including visual aspects, will accumulate and become resources for the development of all products." In terms of hardware, the motor, electronic control, battery technology, PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and other technologies that are across Segway-Ninebot's entire product range will accumulate extensive experience, providing a consistent product logic for the new developments. From a core perspective, a comprehensive big data storage and analytics platform is essential for running the apps and features built on the operating systems, such as "RideyGo! " system and the EFLS for robotic lawn mower.
Millions of Segway-Ninebot's connected vehicles generate hundreds of millions of messages worldwide on daily basis, with the data volume reaching TB level. The emerging challenge for Segway-Ninebot is how to effectively manage and analyze the data and utilize them to deliver outstanding experiences to their customers, ultimately accelerating business values.
The IoV platform built on AWS global infrastructure connects to the vast array of Segway-Ninebot's devices, supporting the collection of device data to the cloud downwards; upwards, it provides IoV data processing, with command data sent to the device end through the IoV gateway, realizing remote control. For example, by collecting battery data, big data analytics help predict a battery's lifespan and potential risks, and halt transmission when necessary to ensure safety. In scenarios where a vehicle is stolen, users can track the location through the app and remotely lock the vehicle. In all these scenarios, cloud is indispensable for delivering constantly online and scalable product and services to global customers.
For global companies like Segway-Ninebot, local legal compliance presents another significant challenge. In addition to adhering to unique cultural or policy compliance requirements, there are now privacy-related laws and regulations in place in 130 countries worldwide, which impose stringent requirements on companies. If these enterprises wish to participate in trade competition, they must comply with local norms and "rules of the game" .
Built on AWS, Segway-Ninebot effortlessly ensures the security of user data and compliance of business applications. Jianwei Lu, Head of Segway-Ninebot's IoV and Big Data platform, explained, "In 2018, when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was first introduced, Segway-Ninebot recognized the critical importance of data privacy and compliance. AWS promptly shared extensive compliance expertise and partner resources, assisting Segway-Ninebot in adaptively adjusting its technical architecture and constructing a practical application compliance and data security system. Simultaneously, AWS global infrastructure resources serve as a 'local gateway' for Segway-Ninebot's thriving intelligent travel business, establishing a robust foundation for swift global business expansion. Furthermore, AWS provides over 300 security and compliant features, with 143 global compliance certifications that users can seamlessly inherit. Collaboratively, Segway-Ninebot and Amazon Web Services have established a cloud-based channel, facilitating the implementation of Segway-Ninebot's global localization strategy, fostering better integration into local communities, and achieving success even from afar."
Epilogue
In the context of the urgent need for global economic market recovery, we anticipate forward-thinking enterprises to collaboratively engage in the global market for mutually beneficial partnerships. Especially with the widespread adoption of networking and AI technologies, opportunities abound for tech companies like Segway-Ninebot and the entire industry supply chain to tap into new future lifestyles and demands.
When discussing the principles guiding Segway-Ninebot's future product development, Mr. Gao articulated his perspective: "We essentially have two requirements. Firstly, when entering an industry, we ask ourselves if there is an opportunity to become the leader. Secondly, we assess whether there is a time window or unique innovation capabilities that can genuinely contribute to the industry's growth. We aim to be a disruptor, not to be disrupted."
