AsterRide and a few others, including Shuddle, are part of a growing reaction to assuage customers' concerns. They're beefing up safety features in their apps, such as adding panic buttons and passenger tracking, and they're also looking to create more-secure services with heightened driver background checks and all-female driver fleets. It's unclear how many of these features will become industry standards, but they do represent a turning point in intensified attention to safety.
"Rider safety is becoming a paramount concern with users of app-based ride-sharing services," said Tejas Mehta, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market research firm that specializes in emerging consumer technology products. "This has created an opening for competitors such as AsterRide and Flywheel."
From the article "Can new tech boost safety in Uber cars, and in taxis, too?" by Dara Kerr.
While Uber is forging ahead with its initiatives, tangible safety improvements may take time, said Parks Associates research analyst Tejas Mehta. "Uber's new safety initiatives are an acknowled...
For Amazon, the introduction of the exclusive service could help it gain more attention in the crowded market of streaming-media players, where it remains a second-tier player. Rival Roku is the le...
A growing retail presence among companies manufacturing end-user home networking products indicates that the home networking industry is beginning to make headway in the mass market. The effect i...
"There's no precedent in my mind," Harry Wang, research analyst for Parks Associates said. The closest comparison would be the TV industry, Harry Wang said. Manufacturers selling analog sets toda...
