BackOla ties up with MapmyIndia for better location-based solutions
Ola will get access to mapping data from MapmyIndia that has intellectual properties for comprehensive, accurate and updated digital map data for India
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Bengaluru: Taxi hailing service Ola on Friday said it has struck a licensing deal with MapmyIndia to use its digital maps and location data to build new solutions.
Through this partnership, Ola will get access to mapping data from MapmyIndia that has the intellectual properties for comprehensive, accurate and updated digital map data for the country, Ola said in a statement.
The app-based transportation solutions provider, owned by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd, so far relied on maps from Google Inc. and Apple Inc. to track the movement of cabs on its technology platform.
While these maps will continue to be the software backbone of its mapping technology, MapmyIndia data will form an additional layer on Ola’s routing software platform, Ola said.
The new partnership will allow Ola to improve the estimated time it takes for its drivers to reach prospective riders and build new location-based solutions.
“Technology innovations around mapping and geo-location will help us build a better experience for driver-partners and customers," said Ankit Bhati, co-founder and chief technology officer at Ola.
MapmyIndia, owned by CE Info Systems Pvt. Ltd, offers maps of India which support navigation, geographic information systems and location-based solutions, among others, on mobile phones. The company didn’t give any financial details of the partnership.
The announcement comes barely two days after Ola said it raised $500 million from a bunch of new and existing investors, including Baillie Gifford, China’s largest taxi hailing company Didi Kuaidi and Falcon Edge Capital, among others. The company said the funds will be used to invest in new products and markets as it sought to stave off stiff competition from rival Uber Technologies.
Ola’s partnership takes lead from Uber, which last week tied up with Dutch navigation company TomTom NV to fortify its mapping capabilities.
Ola has been closely following Uber’s business model in other markets where it offers a number of ancillary services such as delivering groceries, food and e-commerce products.
In the last one year, Ola has launched a number of new initiatives such as food delivery service Ola Café and independent grocery ordering app Ola Store.
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