Two of the leaders in travel information are now collaborating to help drivers find parking near, with a view to averting a growing international problem. According to Frost & Sullivan’s 2015 ‘Strategic Analysis of Smart Parking Market in Europe and North America’ report, drivers wasted an average of 55 hours last year searching for parking, representing nearly US$600m in lost time and fuel.
The new partnership will see Inrix parking lot information incorporated into Waze, the free, crowdsourced real-time traffic and navigation app, which is powered by the world’s largest network of drivers who work together to provide fellow users (Wazers) with the latest information. The collaboration between the two companies extends smart driver services from Inrix to more than 50 million users through the Waze app, to further improve urban mobility and make each driver’s trip as efficient as possible.
Waze recently introduced its first ‘where to park’ feature on Android and Apple devices. It suggests parking lots closest to a destination, and allows users to navigate there directly. Additionally, if a user does not select a parking lot prior to arrival, Waze will give the option to select and navigate to one when approaching a final destination. The integration of the new Inrix parking data adds to the Waze database, comprised of parking lots sourced by the Waze community and other company partners.
Inrix is a global leader in connected car services and movement analytics, a new approach that uses big data and the cloud to help manage urban mobility. By aggregating a variety of sources and applying intelligence, the company delivers comprehensive data and systems to help move people, cities and businesses forward. With over 450 customers across 60 countries, its partners are auto makers, governments, mobile operators, developers and advertisers, as well as enterprises large and small.
Inrix launched the industry’s first dynamic off-street parking service in 2013, followed by the first integrated on-street parking system in June 2015. This was followed in August last year by the company acquiring ParkMe, a leader in parking location, availability and reservations worldwide. Inrix is the preferred provider of parking information and services to many leading auto makers, including Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen. Its North American and European parking lot information is currently being added to Waze insights. Inrix parking information will be incorporated globally within the coming months.
“Driving from point A to B is only part of the journey,” said Alex Israel, vice president and general manager of parking at Inrix. “The addition of our parking data enhances Wazers’ end-to-end driving experience.”
Flavia Sasaki Siqueira, head of business development for Waze, commented, “Driving around looking for spots impacts arrival times and adds unneeded frustration and stress to the entire driving experience. As the co-pilot for driver navigation, Waze has begun to roll out the first of its parking suite features to solve this issue for drivers. Combining Inrix parking information with our own parking database expands reach and accuracy of the ‘where to park’ feature.”
