Claiming it to be a global first, cab aggregator Ola today launched Ola Play, a connected car platform for ride sharing that it said will transform the in-car experience for users on the go like never before.
“Ola Play is a world first, built in India by an Indian team, which showcases that we can do better than the best in the world and be global leaders in technology and innovation,” Co-founder and CEO of Ola, Bhavish Aggarwal, told reporters here.
Ola Play will be made available on Ola Prime in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi for select customers and will be rolled out across other cities and to over 50,000 vehicles by March 2017, he added.
Ola Play is powered by proprietary in-car and cloud technologies from Ola, by bringing advance car controls, choice of personalised content and a fully connected interactive experience for the user, he said. The platform hardware is a first of its kind solution built by Ola in partnership with Qualcomm.
With this, Ola raises the bar globally on a connected in-car experience, he claimed. Beyond offering a highly personal, experience for users during their rides, Ola Play also allows various partners like Apple Music, Sony LIV, Audio Compass and Fynd to build a high quality interactive experience for users, Aggarwal said.
Mahindra and Mahindra, as part of its strategic partnership with Ola, is deeply integrating this technology in its vehicles, enabling both companies to build holistic solutions for the ride sharing world, he said. With over 60 million minutes spent in Ola rides everyday, the impact on consumer comfort, convenience and productivity can be “transformative”.
Qualcomm International Senior Vice President and President, Asia Pacific and India Jim Cathey said, “We continue to invest in developing solutions for the next generation of connected cars.” Mahindra and Mahindra Senior Vice-President Sales and Customer Care (Automotive Division) Veejay Ram Nakra said the launch of Ola Play will bring in a radically new approach and cutting-edge technological innovation to the ride-sharing world.
“We are confident that this will revolutionise the way our customers will interact with their vehicles and define the future of shared mobility,” he said. Uday Sodhi, EVP and Head Digital Business, Sony LIV, said, “With Ola Play, we are offering unique content that is tailored to the needs and preferences of viewers on the move.” As a brand, Sony LIV is the first premium Video on Demand(VOD) service, providing multi-screen engagement to users on all devices.