Ola launches connected car platform for ride-sharing

Cab aggregator Ola on Tuesday launched "Ola Play", a connected car platform for ride-sharing that brings advanced car controls, choice of personalised content and an interactive experience for the user.

"Ola Play" will be made available on "Ola Prime" in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi for select customers and will be rolled out across other cities and to over 50,000 vehicles by March 2017, the company said in a statement.

"I believe this will completely transform the consumer`s ride experience, giving the user the power to control the interactions within the car, and usher in a new era in the ride-sharing industry," said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, Ola, in a statement. 

The platform is a first-of-its-kind solution built by Ola in partnership with US-based semi-conductor and telecommunications equipment company Qualcomm.

Beyond offering a personal experience for users, "Ola Play" also allows partners like Apple Music, Sony LIV, Audio Compass and Fynd to build a high-quality interactive experience for them. 

"Ola Play" transfers the control of the in-car experience to users from the driver console, which enables seamless interfacing with the consumer`s device once a ride begins, the company claimed. 

This context-aware system uses customer preferences and current ride information like time and destination to offer personalised recommendations during the ride.