In May 2020, Intel went shopping. And he went to Israel. A tech company in particular is valued for what it has done and continues to do, but also for what it knows. Moovit, the urban mobility app offered almost everywhere in the world, was a mine of data. With 6 billion pieces of anonymized data, it has the largest motion repository on the planet. One that brings together information from public and private companies, operators or shared mobility companies.
In 2017, Intel also acquired another Israel-based technology company. Mobileye is part of an American company dedicated to developing self-driving cars and improving the intelligence of older models. They wanted to fully enter the race for the autonomous car, which, at the time, was already being led by Elon Musk with Tesla.
With the acquisition of Movie, the two companies were expected to create synergies. A common reason to take Intel to the next level. It’s not clear how they’re going to do that. Steps have been taken from today. Movid will become the visible face of Mobileye’s self-driving cars, leveraging its knowledge of urban mobility in the more than 3,500 cities in its portfolio.
The ” Robotaxis“, which they intend to pilot in Israel in 2023, will use Moovit’s software via MoovitAV for management and ordering. In addition, they will be integrated with public and private transport offers already available in the Mobility app. Through this, and because of their knowledge of data, they want to improve traffic management in cities. For other cities? According to Moovit’s CMO, Yovav Meydad, more sites will be announced in the near future.
Moviet wants to monetize through ads
The creation of its own Robotaxi system in partnership with Mobileye opens up a new path to monetization for the Intel technology subsidiary. However, they are also working on another important way to generate revenue from their data business. And it’s a logical path. The company first created an ecosystem and now wants to monetize it.
Starting from a large database and knowledge of its uses and habits, Moviet prepares an advertising and sponsorship model. For some stores and companies, the company wants them to appear in users’ directions. This way, if they search for any location, they don’t have to go to other apps.
It is, roughly speaking, like Google Maps but with a paid look. Logically, with less appearance than its direct competitor. In this case, they give the example of a McDonald’s or a coffee shop that could be a strategic point for the user.
However, as Meidat promised, they still need to grow it to increase their user base and ensure their path to growth and monetization in the future. They are also in the process of contacting potential partners who will eventually appear on the platform.
Public transport is a problem
Moviet has grown since the arrival of Covid. If the collapse of the prison system that has affected all international operations is marked, they say today to record registration figures. In this case, several factors converged.
On the one hand, the movie tried to adapt to the reality of the moment. Along with the need to maintain personal distance, the app has added information about the capacity of various means of transport. This has led to increased usage of the app. Today, with rising fuel prices, “many drivers have switched to public transport,” they explain.
However, it was the inclusion of public transport ticketing that improved the company’s data the most. In the Netherlands, Israel and several US cities, Moovit added in-app purchases during the pandemic. It is the right time for a world that does not want to touch anything or transact money with anyone. It was easy in those days. Integrated and integrated systems of these regions have enabled rapid change in the case of public transport. As the software was made to meet, the movie didn’t have to fight too much on either side.