Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP), the world’s leading automobile sharing network, these days announced the launch of its extremely anticipated Android™ mobile application as a public beta test.
The app is obtainable for download in beta format at www.zipcar.com/android and continues to expand Zipcar’s suite of mobile tools and services for its members. The public beta launch enables thousands of members to test the new mobile app, and offer robust feedback directly to Zipcar to ensure the final item offers members a powerful, seamless mobile experience.
Zipcar’s new Android application allows members to search for and reserve Zipcars by time, location and vehicle kind. Members can use the application to view available Zipcars on a map, get directions to the vehicle location and extend or cancel a reservation. The application may also be utilized to honk the horn to locate a Zipcar, also as lock and unlock the vehicle after scanning the Zipcard into the reservation. Non-members can download the app to search for vehicles and vehicle locations, discover more about Zipcar and initiate the membership application process.
“We offer automobile ownership, 1 hour at a time and we are dedicated to pushing easy-to-use, self-service innovations through the entire spectrum of our service. The beta launch of our Android app, demonstrates our continued commitment to delivering the very best member encounter within the category,” said Zipcar Chairman and CEO Scott Griffith. “We conducted a member study in December 2010, and found that much more than 90 percent of Zipsters use smartphones, having a large improve in the share of Android-powered devices compared to prior studies. The launch of this public beta gives us the chance to learn from thousands of members using a wide variety of Android devices to gather feedback on their user encounter. The creation of the new Android app is the latest step we’ve taken to ensure the Zipcar encounter aligns with the communication tools and mobile lifestyle choices of our members.”
With the introduction of its Android app, Zipcar is adding to its collection of mobile applications and services that intuitively function with members via all stages of the reservation procedure utilizing many different mobile devices. Additionally to the new Android application, the collection consists of Zipcar’s iPhone® application – recognized by Time Magazine as 1 of the “Best Travel Gadgets of 2009” and one of the “50 Best iPhone Apps in 2011” – also as a mobile web site, which can be utilized on Blackberry® devices and smartphones to make, extend or alter reservations and an interactive voice response call center which automatically recognizes members and their reservation status, and dynamically changes the choices based on where members are in their reservation encounter. Zipcar also provides two-way SMS texting, allowing the vehicle to proactively reach out to members during their reservation via their mobile device to manage their reservation, including instant reservation extension.
Zipcar for Android requires Android OS 2.1 or higher. The beta version of the application is available for download at www.zipcar.com/android or can be downloaded directly on an Android-powered device by searching for “Zipcar” in the Android Marketplace. Members can go to www.zipcar.com/android/faqs with any questions concerning Zipcar for Android, and may also send feedback directly through the application. As soon as all testing is total, a final version of the app will probably be obtainable for download. For more info on Zipcar, go to www.zipcar.com .
Zipcar will be the world’s leading automobile sharing network with much more than 560,000 members and over 8,000 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Zipcar provides much more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and companies searching for an option to the high costs and hassles of owning a automobile. More info is obtainable at www.zipcar.com.