Grab is the market leader in ride-hailing in Southeast Asia, an industry that is one of the fastest growing Internet services sectors and expected to be a $25 billion market by 2022 in this region.¹ As part of the wide-ranging strategic collaboration, Grab and Samsung will develop customised solutions for the ride-hailing industry, including micro-financing schemes for Grab’s over 2.3 million driver-partners, improved customer booking and in-car experiences, and new mobility solutions. The two companies will also work together to expand into Southeast Asia’s fragmented mobile payments ecosystem and provide a mobile payments solution that will serve the needs of consumers in Southeast Asia.

Anthony Tan, Group CEO and Co-founder, Grab, said, “Southeast Asia is home to the world’s fastest growing emerging markets, yet many in the smaller towns and cities do not have easy access to the growing digital economy. Mobile technology can bridge the infrastructural divide and make economic growth more inclusive. Samsung is one of the world’s most innovative technology companies, and we’re thrilled to partner with them to empower more people in Southeast Asia to improve their livelihoods and provide more digital services for everyone on the Grab platform.”

Sangchul Lee, President and CEO, Samsung Electronics, Southeast Asia & Oceania, said, “Here at Samsung, developing meaningful innovations for the betterment of our consumers’ lives is always at the heart of what we do. We believe in the Internet of Things; the various benefits a more digitally connected world brings, and we are excited to be partnering Grab to provide consumers within the region an enhanced array of digital solutions for their everyday needs. Through this collaboration, we hope to explore how we can work together to tap into the massive growth opportunity of Southeast Asia’s digital economy.”

The strategic collaboration will be rolled out in phases across all countries in Southeast Asia that Grab operates in. In phase 1, Grab and Samsung are offering:

Micro-financing of Mobile Devices for Drivers

More than 2.3 million Grab driver-partners across Southeast Asia will have access to a micro-financing programme focused on giving them access to robust mobile technology, which will reduce the cost of purchasing a smartphone and also lower ongoing maintenance costs with superior software and security features. This is part of Grab’s Better 365 programme that provides more benefits and cost savings to drivers.

This initiative was piloted in Myanmar in Q4 2017, where only 30% of adults have access to formal financial services, and will soon be rolled out across the region. Currently, drivers in Myanmar who sign up with Grab can purchase and own high-quality Samsung devices and get a micro-loan from CB Bank, one of Myanmar’s largest banks and Grab’s local banking partner, to finance the device. In less than three months of the pilot, more than 1,400 drivers in Myanmar have benefitted from this programme.

Enhanced Customer Experience at GrabKiosks and GrabBooths

To make Grab’s services more accessible to commuters and customers in Southeast Asia, Grab will introduce more GrabKiosks and GrabBooths in busy consumer hubs such as shopping malls, hotels and airports. These feature Samsung devices with the Grab enterprise app pre-installed, allowing individuals and concierge services to book a Grab ride for themselves or others, even when they do not have data connectivity.

The Samsung devices are designed for robust everyday use in public spaces. The devices at GrabKiosks and GrabBooths in Indonesia and Myanmar have been installed with Samsung’s Knox enterprise mobile security software, ensuring the information security of Grab’s devices, reducing downtime and maintenance costs, enabling Grab to better serve its customers. This will be rolled out in Vietnam and Singapore in Q1, and other countries in Southeast Asia later in the year.

Infotainment Services in Selected Cars

Grab and its content partners will pilot in-car multimedia services in Singapore, installing Samsung tablets inside cars for customers to view infotainment content, if they choose to, during their ride. This will be piloted throughout Southeast Asia this year.

Grab operates the largest transportation network in Southeast Asia and is one of the most frequently used mobile platforms in the region with over 3.5 million daily rides. The Grab app has been downloaded onto over 77 million mobile devices, giving passengers access to the region’s largest land transportation fleet comprising over 2.3 million drivers. Grab offers private car, motorbike, taxi, and carpooling services across 8 countries and 168 cities in Southeast Asia.

About Grab

Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading on-demand transportation and mobile payments platform. Grab solves critical transportation challenges to make transport freedom a reality for 620 million people in Southeast Asia. Grab’s core product platform includes transport solutions for drivers and passengers with an emphasis on convenience, safety and reliability, as well as its proprietary mobile payments platform, GrabPay, which is increasing access to mobile payment solutions for millions of Grab riders and drivers across Southeast Asia and deepening financial inclusion in the region. Grab currently offers services in Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. For more information, please visit: http://www.grab.com.

¹ Grab internal estimates

We are visual creatures. We experience our surroundings through our eyes and make decisions based on what we see. This especially rings true in the business world, which is why Samsung Electronics has meticulously crafted a wide range of integration-ready signage solutions to support organizations of every size. Although Samsung continues to expand its services in this area, it has already left an indelible mark on five industries. Read on to see how.

Retail

Competition from non-traditional retail sources, such as online and mobile shopping outlets, and the new social media influenced shopping habits of millennials and the middleclass, have forced retailers to differentiate themselves by creating a more enhanced in-store experience. In an era of digital hyper-saturation, retailers must meet customer needs by simplifying the store experience, diversifying marketing and facilitating two- way communication.

Such was the case with Sport Chek, Canada’s largest retailer of sports equipment and apparel. Noting that 80% of the retailer`s customers were under the age of 40, the company attempted to appeal to this digital-savvy demographic by installing numerous interactive screens throughout their flagship store in Toronto.

The vibrant images and content arrangement features of Samsung’s displays made customers want to spend more time in the store, and cemented a positive perception of the brand. As such, Sport Chek was able to create a retail environment unlike any other in North America, resulting in unprecedented sales.

Corporate

Corporations gain market share by readily adapting to ever-changing business conditions, particularly in the realm of IT infrastructure. Utilizing up-to-date communication and operation systems ensures effective internal collaboration and timely delivery of relevant information, as well as improves overall corporate performance.

To meet these evolving needs, corporate managers must provide a flexible communication system that supports dynamic collaboration, give employees easy access to real-time information and retain clients by presenting a visually impactful and compelling brand message.

Seeking to influence in-house creativity and enhance operations to take their company mission to the next level, Geico S.p.A., the automotive industry’s leading international producer of automated paint plants, worked together with Numero 10, a Samsung partner, to build and manage high-definition Samsung video walls. To increase collaboration between employees and clients, they also installed Samsung’s 65” interactive multimedia e-Boards in their executive offices, main meeting halls and training facilities.

Not only did Geico grab the attention of current customers and potential clients, but also cultivated internal communications and promoted a fruitful exchange of inventive ideas with the videoconferencing capabilities of the e-Boards.

Entertainment

With internet connectivity allowing for more convenient media consumption, more consumers are transitioning away from large public venues, moving instead to personalized in-home entertainment systems. In response, the entertainment industry has to reinvent its methods to get consumers out of their living rooms and into entertainment venues.

In order to meet consumer demands, entertainment facilities must capture customers’ attention with vibrant imagery, create convenient and intuitive promotional information, and establish a platform which enables customers to interact with the venue in a more personal way.

Slate NY, a popular New York City sports bar and events venue, attempted to accomplish this by installing a cutting edge video wall to create an impactful audio-visual experience for guests. Samsung’s 55” UD Series Direct-lit LED displays provided Slate NY with an elegant solution, offering a virtually seamless viewing experience when installed as a video wall.

Following the installation, the venue saw a 25% increase in foot traffic for popular sporting events, as well as a spike in event bookings. Slate NY intends to further leverage the video wall through the integration of custom graphics that will transform the venue’s atmosphere to fit club nights and other special events.

Hospitality

“Digital natives,” tech-savvy consumers who value mobility, flexibility and on-demand media access, are a growing demographic targeted by the hospitality industry. So much so that they are expected to be the main user of hospitality displays by 2017. As such, hotels and resorts worldwide have had to evolve to enhance guests’ experiences with more digital amenities while maintaining a modern interior design.

Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel serves affluent business and leisure guests and builds loyalty through impeccable service, elegant décor, and modern in-room technology. The hotel sought to efficiently transform its guest rooms with nearly 700 elegant Samsung hospitality displays which delivered full-HD video content with user-friendly, intuitive controls. Additionally, the displays comprised seamless integration with guests’ mobile devices, allowing them to feel more at home.

These interactive, information dense displays upgraded the luxury hotel to the foremost level of in-room entertainment and have been so successful that Samsung has been chosen as the technology standard across Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Limited’s hotels worldwide.

Transportation

As individuals are driving less and the general public’s attitudes toward public modes of transportation are becoming more positive, the transportation industry is seeing an increase in the number of travelers across all segments. To continue along this steadily positive growth trend, transportation centers such as airports and train terminals will need to invest in innovative digital infrastructure to maximize capacity while minimizing operating costs.

To modernize how travelers access information, the industry has turned to digital signage solutions, which can be tailored to fit the individual needs of a wide range of transportation segments.

Samsung’s SMART Signage utilizes database integration to display real time departure/arrival information to cater to passenger needs and enhances the travel experience with interactive, passenger-oriented content and self-service capabilities. Additionally, Samsung’s displays promote brand awareness with a contemporary, visually compelling passenger terminal, sure to appeal to the growing demographics utilizing public transportation.

As industry trends evolve to meet the demands of the public, so will the way we consume them. It is certain that Samsung`s display solutions will advance with such trends, continuing to improve and enhance the way the world does business.