December 20, 2019
2019 has been a big year for UbiPark. Throughout the year we’ve continued to evolve our platform to better support car park operators, councils, property owners and motorists. Let’s have a quick look back at what has been and what we can expect as we move into 2020.
Councils
This year, councils have been increasingly interested in improving the parking experience for their constituents. As our urban centres continue to combat increasing congestion, smart parking solutions help get cars off the road quickly.
-Early in the year, we switched on the live on-street parking availability service for the City of Maribyrnong to provide motorists with a convenient parking solution
-We worked with Mt Hotham to provide a resort entry permit solution for snow-goers.
-In an Australian first for commercial carparks, we launched the first app-based car park for Liverpool city council
As we enter 2020, we expect to continue to see parking become increasingly digitised with integration between smart transport and mobility-as-a-Service solutions – much like our partnership with the RACV app, arevo, has done in Melbourne. Expect parking to become increasingly integrated into our transport options.
Property
Increasingly, parking is becoming a hot topic in the property sector. Commercial and residential property owners are aiming to better utilise their car park facilities & to ensure the car park experience meets that of the rest of the building. With over 70% of building visitors & tenants still arriving by car, car parks are as important as ever. Yet, more budget & focus is given to luxurious foyers & end-of-trip facilities.
In September, we were a keynote presenter at the PropTech Summit, where we discussed how to improve the tenant experience, better control your asset and optimise pricing. The presentation was extremely well-received from an audience that typically doesn’t place a priority on their car park facilities.
We’re now working with a number of property owners and venues to transform the parking experience. The momentum in the property sector increased in December as we were selected from hundreds of start-ups to participate in the award-winning REACH technology growth accelerator program.
We expect 2020 to be a big year for parking in property, with a number of trends to take shape:
-The continued reduction of parking bays will see utilisation continue to be a significant focus
-Hot parking – similar to hot-desking but for car parking spots – will become widely adopted.
The Connected Car
Everything’s smart in 2019, and cars are no exception with some cars able to park themselves! In 2020, we will see them become even smarter.
This year has seen improved connectivity in cars, largely thanks to updates to in-car infotainment systems. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are now widespread, in-car navigation systems are becoming more intelligent to help people get from A to B quicker and smarter with less distraction.
UbiPark is working with a number of car manufacturers to better include parking availability into the in-car experience. In fact, this month (December), we were selected from over 800 applications to join Plug and Play’s mobility acceleration program to do just that. The program connects UbiPark directly with Japan’s leading automakers & OEMs.
As OEMs look to improve the in-car experience and become increasingly connected and automated, we will see parking become a key functionality. Soon, cars will not only be able to park themselves but with automation, they will be able to search and navigate to an available bay by themselves.
Looking into 2020
Despite sustainable moves, cars aren’t going away any time soon. They are still an essential part of our society.
As we move into a new era of connectivity and automation, we will see tired, traditional, machine-based parking become increasingly redundant. Paper tickets will be a thing of the past and drivers will be able to search, navigate, access and pay for parking directly through an app or from their in-car dash.
Property owners, councils, airports, stadiums and businesses will all look at ways to improve the parking experience to make it easier to get people off the road and improve the customer experience.
They will also change in regards to their functionality – whether that’s hot parking or the addition of new services. For instance, as electric vehicles continue to be adopted – particularly across the rest of the globe – parking will become the new petrol station. Using apps, consumers will be able to shop with their items being directly delivered to the boot of their car. Plus, many other weird and wonderful things.
2019 was a massive year for UbiPark and 2020 is gearing up to be a game-changer. From new opportunities to international expansion, we’re gearing up to significantly disrupt the parking experience.
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