The Belgian smart mobility company Be-Mobile, with Belgium’s largest telecommunications company Proximus and their own management as main shareholders, has acquired its French sector partner Mediamobile, which specializes in providing real-time traffic information for car navigation systems.
With this strategic acquisition, Be-Mobile strengthens its position in the automotive industry and increases its data coverage, enabling it to launch its smart mobility solutions across the entire European continent.
Already the leader in traffic information in the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg), Be-Mobile now further expands its activities across Europe with the takeover of Mediamobile’s assets and offices in France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Poland. Be-Mobile aims to revolutionize traffic in Europe and beyond, so the Mediamobile acquisition is an important step forward. The two companies had a combined turnover of more than €40m (US$45.6m) last year.
A subsidiary of the French TDF group, Mediamobile provides real-time traffic information to leading auto makers, including Renault, BMW, Volvo, Toyota and Volkswagen. Mediamobile powers in-car GPS navigation systems and portable devices, as well as smartphone applications and internet services via its V-Traffic branded services.
Be-Mobile provides services for monitoring and controlling traffic flows, intelligent toll collection, parking and public transport through 4411 (service payment via smartphone) and also owns the popular Dutch app Flitsmeister.
Last year, the company introduced Cooperative ITS (C-ITS) applications to bring live information about traffic lights, speed advice, and warnings for approaching ambulances in real time to the dashboard of vehicles. This new development puts Be-Mobile on-track for delivering a neutral platform for road authorities to eventually guide connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) over their road network.
Be-Mobile helps traffic managers make traffic safer and smoother, by using the power of connected vehicles and travelers, combining data from smartphones or moving vehicles within the company’s Big Data Platform with data from roadside sensors or existing databases with multimodal and parking information.
Powerful algorithms determine at any time which mobility advice can best be displayed on variable message traffic signs (VMS), in smartphone apps or on the dashboard of the vehicle.
Be-Mobile forms the link between road managers, parking operators and public transport companies on one hand, and connected vehicles and navigation applications on the other.
Be-Mobile is also the partner of majority state-owned (53-47) telecoms company Proximus in the domain of smart mobility solutions offered to the professional market, smart cities, event and logistic companies, and telematics services. Be-Mobile’s mobility budget tool is integrated into Proximus’ new workplace solution.
Announcing the takeover, Jan Cools, CEO of Be-Mobile, said, “The acquisition strengthens our position in the automotive industry and increases the coverage of our traffic management services in France, Germany, the Nordics and Poland, where Mediamobile is active today.”
