caribo: The first mobile ride-sharing community is open for registration in GermanyThanks to a revolutionary ad-hoc procedure, you will now be able to use your mobile phone to find a ride share or another means of transport wherever you are and whenever you want. Aachen, 1 September 2009 On 1 September 2009, the registration phase for caribo, a project of Aachen-based Scientific Computers GmbH, opens in the www.caribo.mobi portal for the service which begins in October. All interested parties who register by 30 September will not pay any fees until 31 December 2009 and are also in with a chance of being the lucky winner of an iPhone. caribo is the first scheme to combine the economical and ecological advantages of ride sharing by means of mobile Internet technology and social networking. The caribo ad-hoc search function determines the current location of the person looking for a ride and automatically proposes all means of transport to a similar destination that are available in the same area at the present time and in the foreseeable future and which might thus present a suitable ride-sharing opportunity. The system reacts dynamically on the basis of the user's location. "The significant advantage of caribo - in addition to reducing traffic and thus protecting the environment - is that it allows the ad-hoc reservation of rides" explains Markus Schindler, CEO of Scientific Computers GmbH, describing the new technology. "This means that you no longer need to plan journey a long time - or even a little while - in advance, since caribo ensures quick and flexible transportation even on short routes."
In order to use caribo, a Web-enabled mobile phone is required, along with software that is provided free by caribo. This software can be installed on most current mobile phones. It is not absolutely necessary to have a GPS system on your mobile phone but it does increase the accuracy of the location determination function if you have one. The caribo software is extremely user-friendly. There are separate buttons for the most commonly requested functions: "I want to go home" sends a signal at the press of a button to possible transport means in the surrounding area, letting them know where you want to go. The "Driver" button allows drivers to indicate that they're undertaking a short journey and are prepared to take someone along. You can save frequently used destinations so that you don't have to enter the same address repeatedly. Since caribo works with real geographical data, each topographically entered location can be used as the start or end point of a journey.
Naturally, for longer journeys you can plan in advance and find a travelling partner well before you leave. caribo even allows you to receive additional passenger requests once on the road. In addition, there is no need for the time-consuming creation of journey sections. caribo makes ride sharing safe for all concerned. Firstly, all participants must register with their own identity. Their membership of the scheme is linked to a verified mobile phone number and to a reliable rating system. "In this way, we are hoping to eliminate reservations about ride sharing and to persuade more and more people of the benefits of this ecologically-friendly way of travelling" continues Markus Schindler.
In order to avoid a need for negotiations between private users, caribo gives a recommendation for the value of the fuel subsidy to be paid to the driver. This amounts to a minimum of EUR 5 for the first 20km and EUR 0.06 per kilometre thereafter. This means that a short journey of less than 20 km always costs EUR 5. The price for the journey is displayed to the driver and passenger before they agree to the arrangement. Passengers also have the opportunity of offering a higher price for the journey.
In addition, caribo offers commercial providers such as taxi companies access to the exchange platform. Since commercial offers have conveyance conditions and fees that are prescribed on a regional basis, such offers are specially indicated. This means that you can use caribo to call a taxi which is currently in the nearby area without even needing to know the telephone number of the taxi firm.
caribo aims to become a centralized mobile control device for all means of transport in the hand of the user. Thus, in the future public transport offerings and train ticket acquisition will also be part of the caribo service offering.
caribo is partially financed by advertising revenue and fees for individual services. For example, a one-off fee of EUR 1 is charged to the driver for the assignment of a passenger. The passenger pays nothing to caribo. Passengers do not even have to make a payment to caribo for the procurement of a taxi. The taxi company pays a fee in this case.
For more details, see www.caribo.mobi. About caribo:
caribo is a project of Aachen-based Scientific Computers GmbH.
As a private enterprise with a history of more than 50 years, Scientific Computers GmbH has specialized in the marketing of highly developed software. Scientific Computers is a partner of leading American and Canadian software companies and services the German-speaking market in Germany. The company has been able to make a name for itself by supplying software technologies and tools which are seen as top products within their respective markets as well as by marketing competent services in its capacity as a business partner for its own customers. These products are used in all industrial sectors where highly developed IT solutions are required in order to manufacture innovative goods.
With regard to main markets, Scientific Computers GmbH focuses on the vehicles sector, medical technology, transportation, and telecommunications. The company's customer base includes major industrial concerns, medium-sized companies, research bodies, and universities. For more information, see www.scientific.de.
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