New Mobike partnership to improve riders experience

Workers at a production line of Mobike in Hengyang, Hunan province, inspect bicycles one last time before releasing them for shared use in cities. Peng Bin / For China Daily

Bike share scheme Mobike is teaming up with tech companies Ericsson and China Mobile, to build a global Internet of Things platform.

The three companies signed the memorandum of cooperation on Monday, saying they will step up efforts to research a one-stop solution for the application of IoT globally, and will explore innovative business models, such as offering co-branded cards.

They also plan to conduct an IoT trial in Shenzhen and Sichuan provinces, to help users more accurately locate Mobikes and provide a better user experience.

Mobike chief executive Wang Xiaofeng said: "We will employ cutting-edge IoT technologies to grow our technological advantages, aiming to gear up in the expansion of our global business."

"We want to drive the application of IoT technologies to more industries and fields," Ericsson China president Zhao Juntao said. "We believe the cooperation will be a big push to the mass commercialization of IoT in China."

Mobike has deployed more than 4 million bikes in over 60 cities across the globe. More than 20 million short journeys are made on its bicycles every day, according to company figures.

At the end of last year, Mobike, Ericsson and China Mobile Shanghai conducted a trail of cellular IoT technologies on a live network in Shanghai which provided a more convenient and enhanced experience for Mobike riders.