In occasion of CES 2019, HERE Technologies has launched a new consumer app that adds a social layer to mobility, connecting people based on their mobility needs: SoMo.

As reported by Liad Itzhak, SVP, Head of HERE Mobility, “SoMo is our take on the consumer experience and our view on how mobility should be; efficient and fun. Our goal is to make ridesharing as easy as riding alone. We understood that planning and coordinating rides was a hassle. Between group chats, inaccurate pick-up times, and toggling back and forth between messaging and navigation apps, we needed to recreate the way people plan, share and ride. SoMo is a first-of-its-kind mobility app that lets users ride alone or with friends and gives them the freedom to choose how they move from A to B through three innovative concepts.”

Social Ridesharing   

The sharing economy continues to transform our society, and ridesharing has no doubt been leading the revolution. McKinsey research found that 50% of surveyed ride-sharers enjoy ride-sharing for the social aspect of it. While the sharing economy continues to rise, only  8% of all adults have participated in some form of automotive sharing. The fact is, it can be hard to get into a vehicle with someone you don’t know. With SoMo, there’s an element of trust. We want to help users move with people in their social circles, and with people they trust. For the first time, users can choose who they ride with.  

Gatherings 

SoMo introduces a new concept of Gatherings, which are events that are defined by location, time, attendees, and intent. A Gathering can be a public event like a concert, a private event like a night out, or a recurring event like a carpool to work. Users can also explore Gatherings happening nearby and create or join a ride to get there. When it comes down it all, Gatherings are the crux of social mobility; now it’s easy to connect with friends and social circles to ride together via any type of transportation. By utilizing the Mobility Marketplace or by sharing rides with other participants, SoMo makes coordinating and riding easy and social.   

The HERE Mobility Marketplace 

SoMo connects to the HERE Mobility Marketplace, which provides global access to mobility services by aggregating all available transportation options in real-time. This consumer experience of the Mobility Marketplace gives users the freedom to choose how they get from A to B; whether by taxi, private hire, public transport, bikeshare and more.  

Just as platforms like LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Facebook have leveraged social connectivity, SoMo taps into the power of social networks to reimagine the future of transportation. Standing at the forefront of the social mobility revolution, SoMo merges mobility and sociability and enables users to plan, share, and ride in a way that’s simple, hassle-free, and good for the planet. We are taking the next leap to transform the current monopolized and fragmented mobility market into a democratized market, and we’re thrilled to have you along for the ride.  

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Source: HERE