Grab to include third-party providers in quest to build ‘everyday app’
Including third-party providers, as opposed to building a service in-house, would enable Grab to expand its offerings at a quicker pace
Grab, the Singapore-based on-demand services company that bought out Uber’s Southeast Asian business, is working toward opening its platform to third-party providers as part of its stated aim to build an “everyday app” for consumers.
The company may soon announce its first batch of external service providers, according to people familiar with the plan, who declined to be named because the information is private. Grab declined to comment.
Internet companies in China and now, increasingly in Southeast Asia, are building platforms that host multiple services to deliver convenience to consumers. Including third-party providers, as opposed to building a service in-house, would enable Grab to expand its offerings at a quicker pace.
A common plank to these platforms is payments, which enables the companies to capture the consumption patterns of its users. This data can then be analysed to design better services, or to price products such as loans and insurance.
If the “super-app” platform approach of Chinese internet giants like Alibaba and Tencent, or Indonesia-based rival Go-Jek is any guide, Grab could be offering services through its platform that run the gamut from booking cinema tickets to online education and shopping. All the companies have their own mobile payment services.
