Uber partners BBM to challenge Go-Jek's domination in Indonesia
Ride-sharing giant Uber has partnered with Blackberry Messenger (BBM) to allow its users around the world, including Blackberry’s biggest market of Indonesia, to book rides with the messenger service in a bid to challenge market leader Go-Jek.
Uber is keen to challenge Go-Jek's market share in Indonesia.
The partnership was signed with Creative Media Works, which is a unit of Indonesian media group PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk and operates under the BBM banner as a stand-alone consumer focused business with teams operating from Waterloo, Mississauga, Ottawa, Singapore, Jakarta, UAE and South Africa.
The BBM-Uber partnership will allow BBM Messenger users, including both Android and iOS users, to book an Uber ride without leaving the BBM app, or being required to have a standalone Uber app on their phone.
"With this partnership, BBM users can quickly request an Uber ride via BBM despite variations in quality of location, network speed or device features,” said Chan Park, Uber's general manager in Southeast Asia.
Uber's biggest rival in Indonesia is Go-Jek, whose chief marketing officer Piotr Jakubowski spoke to the The Drum earlier this year about its domination in Indonesia.