The ride-hailing market is one of the fastest growing internet services sectors in Southeast Asia and it's expected to be worth $25 billion by 2022. Samsung wants to be a part of this which is why it has inked a multi-year MOU with the region's leading ride-hailing service Grab. The two companies will develop new mobility solutions, micro-financing schemes for Grab's driver-partners and new in-car experiences.
The press release also mentions that Grab and Samsung will work together to expand into the region's fragmented mobile payments ecosystem “and provide a mobile payments solution that will serve the needs of consumers in Southeast Asia,” expect Samsung Pay to play a role in this at some point in the future.
Samsung and Grab will work together to improve the customer experience
The two companies will offer micro-financing of mobile devices for Grab's driver-partners. This will reduce the cost of purchasing a smartphone for them, the program will offer them Samsung smartphones “with superior software and security features.”
To improve the customer experience for the ride-hailing company's users, Samsung devices will be installed at new GrabKiosks and GrabBooths in busy consumer hubs such as hotels, shopping malls and airports. This will enable individuals and concierge services to book a Grab ride for themselves or others even when they don't have data connectivity.
GrabKiosks and GrabBooths have been introduced in Myanmar and Indonesia so far. They will be rolled out in Vietnam and Singapore this quarter with other countries in the region getting them later this year.
Grab users will also find Samsung tablets inside selected cars with multimedia services in Singapore. They will be able to use these tablets to view infotainment content during their ride. After its debut in Singapore, this program will be piloted throughout Southeast Asia this year.
