New business www.icabbi.ie

Atlas_IRL

iCabbi – Changing the way we book taxis forever!

Hi everyone, I am looking for feedback on a business that is being soft launched today (negative or positive!) the business is called iCabbi and is a cutting edge service that allows people to book taxis directly from a computer or mobile phone.

Currently available on the web (www.icabbi.ie) as of today Friday the 24th of September, with iPhone app coming in the next week.
iCabbi will soon be available as a smartphone application on iPhone, Nokia & Blackberry devices allowing passengers to see where active iCabbi drivers are on a map in real time, book them and watch on the map as the driver approaches them (no more calls to dispatch companies to be told “he is just around the corner”!).

We will also be launching a dedicated mobile phone site that will allow anyone with a web-enabled mobile phone to book an iCabbi.
Initially available in Dublin and rolling out to the rest of Ireland in the coming months Cabbi will be the first truly national taxi company – enabling people to book an iCabbi wherever they are in the country at the touch of a mobile phone button – gone are the days of having to find out a local taxi companies number and the necessity to make a call.

iCabbi doesn’t work like a regular dispatch company, once a passenger sends out a request for an iCabbi the request gets sent to 10 drivers, the closest available will get that job.
Only the driver who actually gets the job will receive the customers details.

As we are in beta mode currently taxis can be booked online and the drivers will be taking requests as of today. We realise this takes time to build and are rolling out our ideas in phases, phase 1 being a beta launch of the website (with 150+ drivers signed up already and growing by the day).

The iphone app has been submitted to the app store and will be released shortly and the app and associated bookings will make up the core element of the business.
We already have plans in place to upgrade iCabbi to allow customers to pay iCabbi drivers directly from your smartphone without the need for cash or to even have your credit card.

One of the great selling points of iCabbi is security and the peace of mind that goes with it. When you use iCabbi, we know exactly where you are AND the driver you're with. You will receive the details of the driver you are getting directly to your phone when you book an iCabbi and every detail of your journey is recorded and sent to you by email. The route you take is also recorded for the customer and driver to check ensuring full traceability, we believe this feature will makes taxi journeys more secure and comfortable, a big benefit for women and children.

iCabbi also gives greater freedom to those with hearing or speech difficulties, who can now comfortably book taxis wherever they are without seeking assistance.

Initially launching in Dublin, you can see live taxis on the map now at www.icabbi.ie and also a map view at www.icabbi.ie/location(may new to zoom).

iCabbi has formed strategic relationships with Nokia, Vodafone, Carphone Warehouse and Georgina Campbell’s Ireland that will see iCabbi being promoted directly to their customers, on their phones, in their shops and on their websites.

We would love to hear your views and feedback on this.

Bandara

Atlas_IRL wrote: »

iCabbi – Changing the way we book taxis forever!
allowing passengers to see where active iCabbi drivers are on a map in real time, book them and watch on the map as the driver approaches them (no more calls to dispatch companies to be told “he is just around the corner”!).


We already have plans in place to upgrade iCabbi to allow customers to pay iCabbi drivers directly from your smartphone without the need for cash or to even have your credit card.

One of the great selling points of iCabbi is security and the peace of mind that goes with it. When you use iCabbi, we know exactly where you are AND the driver you're with. You will receive the details of the driver you are getting directly to your phone when you book an iCabbi and every detail of your journey is recorded and sent to you by email. The route you take is also recorded for the customer and driver to check ensuring full traceability, we believe this feature will makes taxi journeys more secure and comfortable, a big benefit for women and children.

iCabbi also gives greater freedom to those with hearing or speech difficulties, who can now comfortably book taxis wherever they are without seeking assistance.

This is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I absolutely love it, so many plusses to this.

Best idea I have heard in years.

Every success with it, I hope it makes you millions.

NCG

An excellent idea. The best of luck with it.

fishy21

sounds really interesting. So taxi pay a certain amount per fare?

Is the i phone app going to be free?

Best of luck with the new venture.

tricky D

Looks like a great service.

Design/process notes:

Grey text needs to be darker for readability. Contrast is your friend.

About Us is just a copy of homepage.

Book Now looks like it should be a link but isn't.

I wouldn't use the reflection on the logo, it dilutes the effectiveness of the brand name. Link logo to homepage.

The general look and feel could do with some more colour.

RBN?? Provide a postal address to ensure much greater trust.

I'd put a 'Coming Soon' mesage on the /assets/images/iphone_screens.png - preferably with a date. Easy to miss that it's not yet available.

Wouldn't bother with the Active and Idle stuff in the title.

Nice login and register show div effect. (Few have copped on to that method) I'd use another colour for the 2 book buttons. Red suggests warning or danger.

Do the Privacy Pol an T&C pages up.

I'd make your h3's bold so they stand out better.

What if I don't have smart phone or use smart phones smartly? That market is far too big to omit.

In the case of security for children, how does a parent get info they might want. It's mentioned but could be emphasised more.

FAQ?

Some footer links haven't been pointed to their URLs yet.

hth/gl

iCabbi

fishy21 wrote: »

sounds really interesting. So taxi pay a certain amount per fare?

Is the i phone app going to be free?

Best of luck with the new venture.

iCabbi is free to use and costs exactly the same as a taxi from a traditional dispatch company. The business model is a nominal pay per fare model, so yes the driver of the taxi pays.

The iphone, nokia and blackberry apps will all be free and iCabbi will soon be available on a mobile phone website for all other web enabled mobile phones. we feel the iphone app will contribute massively

Also thanks everyone so far for the positive comments, this has been over a year in development so is much appreciated to hear them.

deman

Best of luck with this project. Sounds like a great idea.

Bluetonic

What is the current percentage of booked taxis per total taxi journeys in Dublin?

How big an issue is security?

Would drivers be happy to have all their jobs logged? Revenue would love the data I'm sure.

I have a feeling that there isn't a demand for booked taxis out there to make this a viable business. It quite easy to hail a cab in Dublin due to the sheer amount of availability.

The margins must be quite small and it looks like you're solving a problem which doesn't exist.

All the same best of luck, I just hope you have existing jobs.

MrMatisse

Fantastic Idea. Id bring this to companys who have accounts with taxi firms, not that drivers overcharge them or anything.........

If you could automatically match the fare charged with what should have been charged...... very helpful.

deman

Bluetonic wrote: »

How big an issue is security?

I'd like to think, very important.

Bluetonic wrote: »

Would drivers be happy to have all their jobs logged? Revenue would love the data I'm sure.

This will probably separate the honest drivers from the not-so-honest ones.

Bluetonic wrote: »

The margins must be quite small and it looks like you're solving a problem which doesn't exist.

We all got through life very easily without mobile phones but now we'd be lost without them. It's called technological advancement. People like convenience.

Bluetonic

deman wrote: »

We all got through life very easily without mobile phones but now we'd be lost without them. It's called technological advancement. People like convenience.

Whats more convenient than standing by the side of the road and waving a taxi when you need one? Have you seen their availability lately in Dublin City? Again I'd love to know what the percentage of booked taxis over total taxi journeys is? You can ring and book a taxi just as easy if not easier then using an app or some other interface. Do people really need logging data? Who? Why? What percentage of taxi users?

I'd love to know what the projected financials are for this company for the next few years.

stepbar

I'd be in agreement with Bluetonic to a certain extent and he does raise some valid points; however I think the USP is the safety issue. I think I'd be pushing that point quite hard.

In terms of the technology (it's not the big draw to use your service in fairness), there's nothing really new about it TBH but it's positive to note that you have an iPhone app ready to go; which is the way to go in terms of customer interaction these days.

In terms of driver notification, how does this work? Obviously there's an issue if drivers have to check emails / text messages or take calls whilst driving.

Another thing I would note is that your website looks fairly poorly designed. But look I understand it's Beta at this stage. However, I would be inclined to not do live test (live testing as in using www.icabbi.ie, you should use lets say www.icabbi.ie/test or something of the like). Stick up a splash screen on icabbi.ie giving a high level synopsis of what you're all about, a logo, few pics and an launch date. Looks more professional.

However, it is an interesting proposition I'll hand that to you. But it will only work unless you move fast because most of the big taxi companies would have this technology in place already and could easily leverage it. I think you'd have a better shot at making a few quid anywhere else but Dublin / Ireland. Good luck with anyhow. I'll follow this one with some interest.

Red Sheds

I think its a great idea, well done on the development so far and best of luck with it. Get the mobile apps launched as soon as you can, make sure they are free to the customer.

Get taxi drivers to stick QR codes in promnent places in their taxi's, that when scanned and read by mobile phone cameras will direct the person to your website on their smaratphone. Good way of promoting your service and plently of time for driver to explain to pax how they work etc.

Good luck with it.

Shzm

Atlas_IRL wrote: »

iCabbi will soon be available as a smartphone application on iPhone, Nokia & Blackberry devices allowing passengers to see where active iCabbi drivers are on a map in real time, book them and watch on the map as the driver approaches them (no more calls to dispatch companies to be told “he is just around the corner”!).

iPhone, Nokia & Blackberry.. but no Android?

ocallagh

tricky D wrote: »

Looks like a great service.

Design/process notes:

Grey text needs to be darker for readability. Contrast is your friend.

About Us is just a copy of homepage.

Book Now looks like it should be a link but isn't.

I wouldn't use the reflection on the logo, it dilutes the effectiveness of the brand name. Link logo to homepage.

The general look and feel could do with some more colour.

RBN?? Provide a postal address to ensure much greater trust.

I'd put a 'Coming Soon' mesage on the /assets/images/iphone_screens.png - preferably with a date. Easy to miss that it's not yet available.

Wouldn't bother with the Active and Idle stuff in the title.

Nice login and register show div effect. (Few have copped on to that method) I'd use another colour for the 2 book buttons. Red suggests warning or danger.

Do the Privacy Pol an T&C pages up.

I'd make your h3's bold so they stand out better.

What if I don't have smart phone or use smart phones smartly? That market is far too big to omit.

In the case of security for children, how does a parent get info they might want. It's mentioned but could be emphasised more.

FAQ?

Some footer links haven't been pointed to their URLs yet.

hth/gl

Thanks trickyD for your feedback, much appreciated. The site is still in heavy development ahead of our official launch and still undecided over the design!

ocallagh

stepbar wrote: »

Another thing I would note is that your website looks fairly poorly designed. But look I understand it's Beta at this stage. However, I would be inclined to not do live test (live testing as in using www.icabbi.ie, you should use lets say www.icabbi.ie/test or something of the like). Stick up a splash screen on icabbi.ie giving a high level synopsis of what you're all about, a logo, few pics and an launch date. Looks more professional.

Thanks for the feedback stepbar, the splash screen is a good idea. I am personally not a fan of them on finished sites, but for live testing it might work well to inform the user.

If you have any other suggestions I'd love to hear them!

Mr.Boots

The only time i use a taxi is when ive had a few...and when ive had a few i dont wanna be mucking round with my phone...so i go out on the street and hail a cab.....my brain logs the journey, and the drivers mug, name and number are on the dash.
If i decide i dont like the guy...i get out.
Thats just me though.....this might appeal more to women maybe?
best of luck with it.

ocallagh

Shzm wrote: »

iPhone, Nokia & Blackberry.. but no Android?

The mobile apps were started a long time ago! Android had a tiny market share in Ireland at the time, but it is next on our list. We'll have a web app available in the interim which will be compatible with most modern phones.

ILA

Find it hard to see this working.

Most pre-bookings are already done by phone with the particular driver, or by phoning their dispatching office who can radio the details to a any driver working for the firm. Where is the need for an App which would require a form of tracking. One or two big firms already have their own GPS and Data Terminals in cabs which tell the office where they are and queue their calls.

I guess maybe it might catch on if enough drivers signed up to it, but I find it hard to see that as there are many reasons they wouldn't.

suey71

How much do you charge taxi drivers for this service?
% or a weekly fee?

Speaking from experience, the biggest gripe that taxi drivers have with the bigger taxi companies that use the GPS system is the fact that they give the driver 20 to get to the customers house to collect them, no earlier/no later.

But the catch is, to be eligable for the next job the driver has to be close to the customer. At night a taxi driver can get from Blanchardstown to finglas in 5 minutes. What does the driver do for 15 or so minutes.

I'm not saying your company will be like this but the othe big ones are.

This makes it look like the company is real busy etc. but in truth the taxi driver is idle most of the time and cant pick up local jobs/fares off the street (a big temptation when he's idle). This leads to him taking the street job anyway and the the customer that pre booked the taxi is left waiting.

Just something to think about.

Btw great idea and it will work.

baaaa

Seems to me like this idea is exactly what the internet is good at,which is cutting out the middleman(base controller).
It should be handy also next time I leave my ph or wallet or whatever in the backseat when I'm pissed.

iCabbi

From the drivers perspective there is one very, very big advantage. Traditional dispatch companies charge c. €100 per week for the use of a radio with no guarantee of work, the drivers that we speak to aren't getting value for money. Whereas iCabbi charges a small nominal fee per fare received, no business = no charge at all! Also if a driver with a dispatch company has to turn down a fare for any reason they get sin-binned and dropped from the system for a time, with iCabbi drivers can accept fares as and when they wish.

From the consumer perspective I am seeing some similar feedback to what Ryanair got when they cut out travel agents "it will never work" "this will be the end of them" etc. They changed the face of booking flights globally forever. They keep making inroads to make their industry more efficient and this is precisely what iCabbi does.

Interestingly the drivers have had no issue with the tracking element. Personally the most taxis I get are from someones house in the early hours, I detest making multiple calls to dispatch companies to be told there is nothing available or nothing for an hour. I also detest taxis not turning up and being told they are "just around the corner" when they are nowhere near. iCabbi removes the need to call multiple dispatch companies on busy nights, when we are national you will be able to get an iCabbi anywhere, no need to ask a local or to ring directory enquiries. So we are not necessarily trying to replace people hailing cabs from the street only to make the present ordering system more efficient.

I also hate when my wife is on a night out and getting a taxi home, I can't sleep until shes home as who knows what taxi she will get in. I won't have to worry about that now with iCabbi.

iCabbi is also great for anyone who has hearing or speech difficulties. There are over 10,000 people registered deaf in Dublin alone. A large market in itself. At present they have to get someone to order taxis when they are out and about.

No other dispatch company has technology remotely like this and it would take a massive investment and at least a year minimum to develop it. By this time iCabbi will be national.

iCabbi have also developed strategic partnerships with Vodafone, Nokia, Carphone Warehouse and Georgina Campbell's ireland which will see our service being promoted to their customers.

All of the points that have been made are valid, but we have already looked into them all and addressed them one by one. We feel that the time is right with the current technical level of mobile phones and the desire for people to have services quickly at the touch of a mobile phone button. Mobile phones are almost a phone last these days with many people the primary use is as a tool to assist them in their daily life.

koHd

I will use this.

iCabbi

Thanks Kohd, do let us know of your experiences.

We had our first fares within hours of the site going live so we are happy with that as we have done no promotion thus far. Plan to launch properly in about a month.

Thanks everyone else for your input and constructive criticisms, they have all been helpful

Average-Ro

Well done, I really hope this goes well for you, it's a great idea!

Please keep us updated, I think it would be interesting to hear from you as this grows.

iMax

Excellent idea & I hope it works & that it has a big uptake.

A couple of suggestions:

1) Have a free application for desktop computers (aimed at companies, but available for everyone), that way the receptionist can keep a log of all fares etc.

2) Send an image of the Driver's ID (complete with description of car being driven) to the person booking the cab.

3) Issue a holographic sticker (destructible if removed) to all drivers using the service.

There is a large number of cars being "shared" (in Dublin), by that I don't mean being cosied, I mean one driver has the relevant accreditation & others are illegally using the car on a full 24 hour basis. There is also a number of duplicate cars (same car model, make & colour, fake licence & taxi plates) on the road.

iCabbi

Thanks for the suggestions iMax:

1. Definitely will look into this

2. We are already considering this, other ideas are to allow people to rate drivers and to also have the functionality that iCabbi users can mark certain drivers as "favourite" so that they can request this particular driver if they like them when booking

3. As per regulatory requirements all icabbi drivers are registered taxi drivers, all have licenses verified etc. They have to show us 5 different items (SPSV license x 2, drivers license, insurance, copy of recent utility bill) which we take copies of. We have procedures in place to flag any of these items that are expiring to ensure that we get copies of new ones. The main person involved in recruiting drivers is at the heart of the taxi industry and knows everything that is going on and we are totally satisfied that we have taken all steps possible to ensure that our drivers & cars are bona fide.

sidcon

Simple advertisement is a Facebook page /Twitter let people spread the word sounds to me like a great service,
something very similiar but not to your level is the Iphone app Irish Taxi, check it out
http://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/irish-taxi/id362721635?mt=8

suey71

So how much exactly are you charging taxi drivers?

You say that the guy that recruits the drivers is at the heart of the taxi industry in Ireland, this is probably one of 2 men, (and hopefully its neither one). One is the head of a union and just before the taxi industry was regulated he sold the 10 taxi plates in his possession for close to €100,000 to 10 unsuspecting guys who had to remortgage their houses to buy one.
The other one, also the head of a union tried to get me to invest €5,000 in a new taxi company. When I asked what returns that I would recieve for my investment he told me that he would take off €5 per week from my base fee.

Were you involved in the taxi industry before this venture. If so in what way?

iCabbi

If the driver has a compatible phone we charge them €1.21 per fare received and the software is free (downloaded as an app), if they want us to supply a phone with the app on it to them it costs nothing but is €2 per fare to allow for data charges and cost of phone (both including VAT).

Like any industry there are loads of people in the heart of the taxi industry, people who work in it day in day out are in the heart of it. It is none of the people you are referring to.

We were in no way involved in the taxi industry previously & are internet entrepeneurs from various different industries. We have a team with various complimentary skills and several taxi drivers with years of experience within the team to direct us with respect to what works best for the drivers themselves.

suey71

Thats great to know.


I'm just about to launch my first website myself but its nothing to do with the taxi industry, thank God.

I predict great things for icabbi.

Good luck.

suey71

Have you thought about expanding this service to the UK?

ocallagh

Mr.S wrote: »

brilliant idea.

Looking forward to the mobile app.

Just a question, when you create a booking, do you get a text confirming a driver is on the way/arrived to pick you up? or do you just stand around and wait and hope someone turns up!

You get a text (or push notification on your iphone) that the taxi is outside. Also, you can track the taxi as it approaches you on the map (on both phone and website) so can finish your pint accordingly or whatever!

nice1franko

Cracking idea. I'll pass on the link to my missus, she hates leery taximen so she'll love the transparency and security this gives.

I've a feeling you don't need it but ... g'luck!

Cianos

Best of luck with the venture. If done in the right way it should be a very handy service. One pointer, I don't think the name is good enough. If I said to my friend "I booked a taxi with icabbi", they won't know how to spell the name. Is it i-c-a-b-y? i-c-a-b-b-y? i-c-a-b-b-i-e? etc. A name has to be audible to be communicable.

Another issue you're facing is the amount of instances people HAVE to ring for a taxi. Most people on a night out are in a fairly populated area that taxis flock to for picking up fares. In these cases taxis are generally very available on the street and it's a lot quicker and instinctive to flag one down then to remember that you have an app on your phone that can do it for you (but won't you then still be competing with the fact that your local drivers have the option of all the other punters who need a taxi?).

The only times I've personally needed to find a number to ring for a taxi is when I'm at a friends house that isn't in my own town (meaning I wouldn't have the local cab numbers saved in my phone). These are the times that your service would be most useful, but they are extremely rare for the average person. This is the backbone of necessity that your service will be based on, but how can it grow from there?

So as other posters have said, your strongest USP is the safety factor, and thus your primary target market should be women, as they are more likely to feel uncomfortable with the anonymity of a flagged down taxi. If you can get the service popularised with lady customers then you can progress to making it a normal every day method of getting a taxi.

With the above in mind I think your website has loads of room for improvement. It reads like you are trying to sell the idea to yourselves rather than to the customer. The function of the map seems to be communicating the idea that you have icabbi associated with loads of taxis around Dublin...but, shouldn't that go without saying?

(I've just noticed you have made a thread in the website reviews section, so I'll pass any remarks about it through there instead of here!)

bigneacy

its a fantastic idea, I can't wait until its in the rest of the country.

Its total convenience in a total convenience era. Now you can order a cab straight from the nightclub before last orders are called, which wouldn't be possible with the sheer level of noise. you can order it before your last sip of coffee without having to interrupt the conversation.

Its a brilliant idea, the transparency, ease of use and security are major selling features. Being able to see where your taxi is, and in the knowledge that the little icon is moving closer to you will take away a lot of the frustation as well.

iCabbi

A lot of good points made & this is why we don't believe for a minute that we are going to replace the way people take taxis. Just give people an additional method.

Our primary market is indeed women, those with hearing/speech difficulties (10,000 registered deaf people in Dublin alone), those who use taxis from work (can book from desktop, carry on working and watch as it approaches), those who work late at night and use taxis, those who want to use a taxi without the need for cash or credit card, those in house parties that can't be bothered ringing several dispatch companies to be told each time that there are no taxis available etc. There are masses of large niche groups that this is going to suit and appeal to. Will the average guy boozing in town use it with a taxi rank down the road? Initially probably not, but if it is lashing rain he may well do.

We think the idea that you can book a taxi without breaking conversation and without hassle is great, as one poster said press the book button when your coffee is arriving, enjoy it and walk out the door to your icabbi.

We have met with Enterprise Ireland and we will be going to UK and US with this asap.

JonJoeDali

iCabbi wrote: »

A lot of good points made & this is why we don't believe for a minute that we are going to replace the way people take taxis. Just give people an additional method.

Our primary market is indeed women, those with hearing/speech difficulties (10,000 registered deaf people in Dublin alone), those who use taxis from work (can book from desktop, carry on working and watch as it approaches), those who work late at night and use taxis, those who want to use a taxi without the need for cash or credit card, those in house parties that can't be bothered ringing several dispatch companies to be told each time that there are no taxis available etc. There are masses of large niche groups that this is going to suit and appeal to. Will the average guy boozing in town use it with a taxi rank down the road? Initially probably not, but if it is lashing rain he may well do.

We think the idea that you can book a taxi without breaking conversation and without hassle is great, as one poster said press the book button when your coffee is arriving, enjoy it and walk out the door to your icabbi.

We have met with Enterprise Ireland and we will be going to UK and US with this asap.

Have you seen taximagic.com?

bigneacy

JonJoeDali wrote: »

Have you seen taximagic.com?

in light of this I would say - get it patented if you can and haven't already and get into the UK asap immediately.

baaaa

If you stuck in some sort of fare-share feature it might be handy and get more people using it.
There's lots of people that would happily share a cab after a night out(costs me 28 yoyo to get home) instead of the nitelink.

JonJoeDali

bigneacy wrote: »

in light of this I would say - get it patented if you can and haven't already and get into the UK asap immediately.

You do realise how much a global patent costs?

And besides, you can't patent software. It may be possible in America, but it's a grey area. An area where plenty of patent lawyers are only too willing to "help" you in. Apparently taximagic.com is "patent pending". Whatever that means...

Also, your patent is only as strong as your war chest.

taximagic.com are backed by institutional investors and are already a multi-million dollar company.

Bluetonic

iCabbi wrote: »

can book from desktop, carry on working and watch as it approaches

This sounds very unproductive to me as a boss.

I would much prefer employees to book by phone and have the taxi ring when it arrives.

Of your primary market what current percentage of these are tech savy and book a taxi in advance against overall taxi journeys?

How many journeys a week are you projecting in a years time will be booked by this service?

In theory it wouldn't seem like the routing software etc.., is too difficult to write. It could be easily outsourced and developed for next to nothing. Whats to stop someone else doing exactly the same as you? An already established booking office could run it at break-even to eliminate you from the market?

Again it's a novel idea but certainly not a stand alone business in my opinion.

JonJoeDali

Bluetonic wrote: »

In theory it wouldn't seem like the routing software etc.., is too difficult to write. It could be easily outsourced and developed for next to nothing. Whats to stop someone else doing exactly the same as you?

There are lots of Facebook clones out there.

Bluetonic

JonJoeDali wrote: »

There are lots of Facebook clones out there.

Sorry to get off topic but there are a lot of social media sites which try and offer some of the features which Facebook do, I can't think of one which offer the same features as Facebook or offer them and better features.

If there are lots what are they? Twitter, QQ, Badiu etc.., would be the nearest direct comparison social media sites yet they are not Facebook clones, they cater for different markets and habits.

The thing about this business is that it's quite easy to replicate and improve. They have no market share at the moment so competitors can move in quite quickly should they get the software developed quickly which is possible. Again I say it's a good idea and a side offering from an existing transport/taxi company not a stand alone business.

It would perhaps make more money using a licencing model.

baaaa

Bluetonic wrote: »

This sounds very unproductive to me as a boss.

I would much prefer employees to book by phone and have the taxi ring when it arrives.

Of your primary market what current percentage of these are tech savy and book a taxi in advance against overall taxi journeys?

How many journeys a week are you projecting in a years time will be booked by this service?

C'mon, it has to be of benefit to know where your taxi is as opposed to it arriving randomly within a 20 min window.
And even if only a tiny percentage of people are tech savy enough to use it now I'm sure that figure is growing exponentially by the second.
Unless we start going back in time apps like this are where it's at.

Bluetonic

baaaa wrote: »

C'mon, it has to be of benefit to know where your taxi is as opposed to it arriving randomly within a 20 min window.
And even if only a tiny percentage of people are tech savy enough to use it now I'm sure that figure is growing exponentially by the second.
Unless we start going back in time apps like this are where it's at.

It's beneficial of course but my point is that it's not a business in my opinion.

I don't think it's possible to build a business around this service.

With regards to the service regardless of how little coverage Andorid had last year (projections had it to grow massively), it's a massive oversight to develop this app after others. By the end of the year I believe it will be the largest used platform in Ireland in smartphones from what I've read. Also no mention of Samsung (bada), the largest handset market share in the world and growing massive in the Smartphone market. You really want to have all your apps launched from the start so as to reduce any chance competitors have of getting market share should they launch a similar product. You can get these apps developed quickly and for small costs when you outsource.

Again these are just my ideas and I wish the iCabbi guys good luck.

JonJoeDali

Bluetonic wrote: »

I don't think it's possible to build a business around this service.

I disagree.

taximagic.com have proved it.

Bluetonic

JonJoeDali wrote: »

I disagree.

taximagic.com have proved it.

What sort of market have Taximagic.com the potential to deal with and what sort of market have iCabbi the potenial to deal with?

Taximagic work with taxi companies, iCabbi compete with taxi companies, theres a big difference there. Taxi companies will just come up with a rival to iCabbi if it's a threat to business thats why I believe licencing works better for iCabbi.

re: Facebook clones?

baaaa

To me it seems to replace the base station with a pretty functional app that seems to service the customers needs more than the base station.
I could see it making the base stations redundant and then it'll make a few quid surely?

Bluetonic

baaaa wrote: »

To me it seems to replace the base station with a pretty functional app that seems to service the customers needs more than the base station.
I could see it making the base stations redundant and then it'll make a few quid surely?

You'd probably still need the base station to some degree for the foreseeable future until smartphone and mobile web becomes more widespread.

The problem is that it's easy to replicate in my opinion, competitors are fierce.

baaaa

Bluetonic wrote: »

You'd probably still need the base station to some degree for the foreseeable future until smartphone and mobile web becomes more widespread.

The problem is that it's easy to replicate in my opinion, competitors are fierce.

What?I thought you said the problem was that people weren't tech savy and that it wasn't a business.
Booking a taxi on your ph and watching it's progress is the logical culmination of technology right now,why would anyone use a base station when they had this app?It's lies Vs truth isn't it?What the internets does.