Skip to main content

Innovative use of SMS for peer-to-peer car sharing

Netsize, a leading mobile commerce enabler and a Gemalto company, has announced that CityzenCar, a peer-to-peer car sharing social network with 12,000 members across 2,000 locations in France, has deployed its SMS-based communication solution to secure and simplify car rental for consumers.
March 14, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
3864 Netsize, a leading mobile commerce enabler and a 3866 Gemalto company, has announced that CityzenCar, a peer-to-peer car sharing social network with 12,000 members across 2,000 locations in France, has deployed its SMS-based communication solution to secure and simplify car rental for consumers.

The Netsize SMS communication solution supports the entire neighbour-to-neighbour rental process, from renter validation to rental notifications, as well as confirming booking details. It works on any handset and is compatible with all wireless networks, guaranteeing 100 per cent reach so CityzenCar customers can use the service anywhere, anytime.

Car owners will be notified of each rental request by SMS and if they approve it, the driver will receive a text message on their mobile phone containing details of the car and location. The car owner can then choose to either deliver the keys to the driver in person or authorise CityzenCar to unlock the car doors. This innovative and convenient unlocking system is made possible by the CityzenBox, an embedded telematic device that sits within the car.

“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for our customers to interact with each other and make the best use of our service, “ commented Nicolas le Douarec, CEO, CityzenCar, “Netsize’s flexible and highly dependable SMS solution is crucial to ensure the quality of our service.”

“CityzenCar is ahead of the curve in its innovative use of technology to engage with customers. SMS is ideal where mobility is key as customers can be reached while on the move. It is also exceptionally interoperable, providing us with a far wider end-user reach,” said Frédéric Deman, general manager, Netsize.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Berg Insight: free floating car sharing served 5.6m members 2017
    April 20, 2018
    Free floating car sharing services utilised 40,000 vehicles and served 5.6 million members in 2017, according to a report released by Swedish internet of things firm Berg Insight. The study also forecasted that membership of the service will reach 14.3 million using around 102,000 vehicles by the end of 2022. This service allows members to pick up and drop-off cars anywhere within a designated area where parking is allowed. Users can access available cars without prior booking or be required to schedule
  • Growth of telematics-based pay as you drive car insurance systems
    July 17, 2012
    Car insurance made cheaper by telematics has returned to news headlines in the UK this year. Will it really take off this time and can vehicle tracking provide an effective tool for enforcing or encouraging insurance compliance? Jon Masters reports Will 2012 go down as the year that telematics-based car insurance took off? In the UK at least, a groundswell of new policies, with premiums priced on the basis of tracked and analysed driving style, suggests a turning point has been reached. Some would argue t
  • Foundation funds research for informed campaigning
    April 29, 2015
    ITS International talks to Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the transport research and lobbying organisation, the RAC Foundation. It is through the eyes of an economist that Professor Stephen Glaister, emeritus professor of transport and infrastructure at Imperial College London and director of the RAC Foundation, views current and future transport problems. Having spent 30 years at the London School of Economics and another 10 at Imperial, the move to the RAC Foundation was a radical departure from
  • Migrating to advanced traffic management systems
    March 14, 2012
    Rich pickings of reduced cost and greater value are up for grabs as highway authorities migrate to new traffic management systems – if they choose their paths wisely. Jon Masters reports. Experience gained and expertise developed over the past decade are informing good advice for transport agencies contemplating new or expanded traffic management systems. Technological projects aimed at reducing road congestion may be frequently unique and invariably complex, but a picture is emerging of sensible, prudent a