How many times have you got stuck at a restaurant late in the night trying to wave a cab down for going home? Uber, a San Francisco based luxury car service was born to remedy the lack of cabs after 2 am in San Francisco. Kalanick Garrett Camp, CEO of StumbleUpon and Oscar Salazar, CEO of CitiVox are the men behind this initiative. The luxury car service launched in 2010 has expanded its presence in the US cities and is now preparing to enter the global market also in a big way. The service has debuted in Paris and Toronto. London is the next target market and the service will definitely commence before the Summer Olympics.
The expansion plan will go on in North America, Europe and Asia. The service has been successful because it is easy and convenient to use. You simply need to push a button on your smartphone to order a pickup. The application developed specifically for the service enables you to even track the progress of your ride on its way. The founders of the service have worked out an innovative business model. They have entered into contract with local limousine companies. The service is already operational in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York and Washington D.C.
Uber has developed android apps for the iPhone. The unsupported phones need to send an SMS to set a pickup location. The expected arrival time of their car, which is generally within ten minutes, is texted back to the customer. You can track the movement of the car on the app’s GPS or you receive another message when the car arrives outside. Another convenience of the service is that the cost of the ride, including tip, is automatically charged to the user’s pre-registered credit card.
