First-of-its-Kind Consumer App,
Making Mobility Social
HERE Mobility, the mobility unit of HERE Technologies, announced today the launch of their new all-in-one mobility app.
Derived from “Social Mobility,” SoMo is a first-of-its-kind mobility app that gives the freedom to choose how to move from point A to B by introducing three innovative concepts:
Social Ride Sharing– SoMo gives users the freedom of choice to share their ride with friends, family, co-workers, other kids’ parents or any other social circle. For the first time, users can choose who they ride with.
Gatherings – SoMo introduces a new mobility concept called Gatherings — events that are defined by location, time, attendees and intent. Users can connect with friends and social circles based on common activities and ride together to a Gathering of any size. A Gathering can be a one-time event, like a concert, a wedding, a night out with friends, or a recurring event, like after-school soccer practice or daily commute to work. SoMo allows event organizers and participants to find the best way to get to a Gathering. By utilizing the Mobility Marketplace or sharing rides with other participants, SoMo makes coordinating and riding easy and social.
The HERE Mobility Marketplace – SoMo gives full access to the HERE Mobility Marketplace, an open and competitive smart mobility marketplace that aggregates all mobility services and transportation options in real-time such as taxi, private hire, public transport, bikeshare and more. Users have the freedom to choose from a variety of transportation options from the Mobility Marketplace to best fit their needs, all in one place.
SoMo provides a single-app experience, allowing users to book and plan a ride alone or with people in their social circles. The app makes it easy to discover Gatherings happening nearby and find a friend who’s driving there. In a recent McKinsey survey, 50 percent of ride sharers said social experience is a key motivator for sharing rides – and SoMo promises to enable countless such experiences for a diverse user base.
The growth of ridesharing underscores the shift from a traditional transportation ecosystem to one rooted in the sharing economy. “SoMo is the bridge to today’s sharing economy,” said Liad Itzhak, SVP, Head of HERE Mobility. “Consumers should have freedom of choice in how and with whom they travel. That’s why SoMo brings people together based on common social interests and mobility demand, whether they’re traveling to a holiday party, basketball practice, or a Beyoncé concert.”
“Just as platforms like LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Facebook have leveraged social connectivity, SoMo taps into the power of social networks to reimagine the future of transportation,” said Itzhak. “Standing at the forefront of the social mobility revolution, SoMo enables users to plan, share, and ride in a way that’s simple and hassle-free. Increasing the average car occupancy will make traffic jams disappear and will have an enormous impact on our planet, reducing pollution and making it much greener.”
SoMo also functions as a classic navigation app offering turn-by-turn guidance and real-time traffic updates. The app plugs in rider locations to determine the most efficient pick-up and drop-off routes based on full-route waypoints, time, and distance. Focusing on trust and safety, SoMo sends automatic updates about driver location and ETA, so drivers can navigate safely without texting while driving.
SoMo is available for download globally on Google Play and the App Store in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese (Brazilian).
