NTT DATA to Launch Beta Version of MaaS "Mobicomma" Solution for Tourists "Honda EveryGo"

New in-vehicle mobility experience available with car-sharing services

November 29, 2022
NTT DATA Corporation

TOKYO – November 29, 2022NTT DATA, a global digital business and IT services leader, today announced the launch of the beta version of Mobicomma™, a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) Solution for Tourists, to leading car-sharing firm Honda Mobility Solutions Co., Ltd. (HMS), starting from November 20221. This is the second company to utilize the Mobicomma services, following the rental car firm ORIX Auto Corporation2. This latest collaboration with HMS will assess the potential for using Mobicomma with a car-sharing service, which has a different use condition than with rental cars.

Mobicomma utilizes tablets mounted in several locations in the vehicle that allow passengers to share information as they can freely determine their travel plans. An animated character which will recommend sites based on GPS data, transforming a car journey from a mean of transportation into a "new mobility experience"

By incorporating this service, car rental and car-sharing business operators can add more value to the customers' travel experience. Further, the tablets provide additional opportunities to connect with the customers in vehicles, with the potential to generate new sources of revenue.

NTT DATA aims to commercialize Mobicomma in FY2023 and expand the number of car rental and car-sharing operators. Also, to explore the possibility of developing services for private cars and self-driving vehicles and enhance the travel experience.

Background

NTT DATA has adopted a corporate philosophy of using information technology to create new paradigms and values that contribute to a more affluent and harmonious society. To achieve this mission, NTT DATA considers it essential to utilize the network it has established with customers and business partners across multiple industries, and work with partner companies to create new businesses focused on consumer needs.

One example of this approach is the Mobility Commerce Service Concept3, launched in June 2020 in anticipation of the era of self-driving cars, which aims to create opportunities for providing services and interacting with customers while they are on the move. NTT DATA has worked with a wide range of partner companies for technology verification testing4 and trials to verify the effectiveness of services5, as well as developing the beta version of the Mobicomma MaaS Solution for Tourists, which was made available for rental car users in June 2022.

For this latest phase of the project, NTT DATA will provide the beta version of the Mobicomma MaaS Solution for Tourists to HMS, operator of the EveryGo car-sharing service.

The current focus of Mobicomma is on non-ordinary circumstances (travel), but going forward, NTT DATA aims to broaden the scope to include everyday use through car-sharing and assessing the potential for utilizing Mobicomma for car-sharing services.

In addition, since the release of the beta version, the potential for using the tablets mounted in vehicles for advertising or customer referrals has attracted considerable interest from tourism companies, local governments, and advertising agencies. Accordingly, NTT DATA will also focus on assessing the possibility of advertising and customer referrals.

Overview of Mobicomma

Mobicomma is a service to enhance the pleasure of travelling in a car. Using tablets installed in the vehicle, everyone in the car can share and view the information, freely make travel plans, and check suggestions for destinations and lesser-known sightseeing spots. Passengers can also enjoy karaoke, topic roulette, and other types of entertainment content.

Mobicomma website: https://www.mobicomma.com/ (Japanese)

Operator Providing the Service

The service is provided in conjunction with the car sharing firm Honda Mobility Solutions (HMS). Details are as follows.

PeriodNovember 14 to January 31 (Plan)
Target users'General travelers
Service locationHotel Strata Naha (https://okinawa-uds.co.jp/hotels/strata-naha_en/)
Hotel Anteroom Naha (https://okinawa-uds.co.jp/hotels/anteroom-naha_en/)

Main Content for Verification

NTT DATA will verify the usage patterns and operation of Mobicomma with car-sharing, planning to expand the Mobicomma services to the broader car-sharing industry.

In addition, to support the establishment of advertising and customer referral services in the future, during these trials, NTT DATA will collect user data who visited the spots recommended through the vehicle tablets, verifying the potential by showing ads for sightseeing spots.

Future Plans

NTT DATA aims to commercialize Mobicomma in FY2023. The Company will coordinate with the following types of businesses to increase usage and expand the service area. NTT DATA will also examine the potential of developing the service for private cars and self-driving vehicles.

Mobility Companies
  • Car Companies – Development of a roadmap and specific plans to provide the service in private vehicles and self-driving cars.
  • Rental Car/ Carsharing Companies – Verification testing in Okinawa and other areas using NTT DATA's Mobicomma platform.
Tourism Companies/ Local Governments
  • Expand the range of tourism spots available through Mobicomma (sightseeing locations, restaurants, etc.), and explore new services using the content.
  • Develop high value-added services and content for travelers to stimulate tourism demand and revitalize local economies.
Advertising Agencies
  • Utilize the in-vehicle tablets for advertising or customer referrals.

NTT DATA's Vision for the Future of the Automotive Industry

NTT DATA envisions the future of IT and business through its foresight perspective, supporting customer growth and business transformation as a co-creation partner.
In the automotive industry, NTT DATA is focusing on the three aspects of Customer Experience (CX), Mobility Experience (MX), and Energy Transformation (EX). Through collaboration with a wide range of businesses and industries, NTT DATA will work to provide new services to match the various ways in which automobiles are utilized.

Notes

  1. The date, duration, and other details of the Mobicomma beta version release are subject to change without notice.

  2. (May 20, 2022) "NTT DATA to Release Beta Version of MaaS 'Mobicomma' for Tourists at ORIX Rent-A-Car center, Naha Airport in Okinawa from June"
    https://www.nttdata.com/global/en/media/press-release/2022/june/ntt-data-to-release-beta-version-of-maas-mobicomma-for-tourists-at-orix-rent-a-car-center

  3. (June 18, 2020) "NTT DATA and unerry Conclude Capital and Business Alliance to Provide 'New Mobility Experience'"
    https://www.nttdata.com/jp/ja/news/release/2020/061801/ (Japanese)

  4. (June 8, 2021) "DENSO and NTT DATA Complete Verification Test Using Vehicle and People Flow Data to Innovate the Mobility Experience"
    https://www.nttdata.com/global/en/media/press-release/2021/june/denso-and-ntt-data-complete-verification-test-using-vehicle-and-people-flow-data

  5. (September 28, 2021) "NTT DATA's Concierge Service for Rental Car Leisure Travel"
    www.nttdata.com/global/en/media/press-release/2021/october/ntt-datas-concierge-service-for-rental-car-leisure-travel

  • Mobicomma is a registered trademark of NTT DATA Corporation.
  • Names of products, companies, and organizations are trademarks or registered trademarks of those companies.

About NTT DATA

NTT DATA – a part of NTT Group – is a trusted global innovator of IT and business services headquartered in Tokyo. We help clients transform through consulting, industry solutions, business process services, IT modernization and managed services. NTT DATA enables clients, as well as society, to move confidently into the digital future. We are committed to our clients' long-term success and combine global reach with local client attention to serve them in over 50 countries. Visit us at nttdata.com.

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