Grab’s intention to expand its ecosystem has taken a big step forward with the introduction of GrabPlatform. A suite of APIs that allow partners a greater amount of access to Grab’s technology. Allowing more services to be integrated into the system.
The main benefit of GrabPlatform APIs is that it allows partners to integrate their services with that of Grab’s. A prime example of this is the newly announced GrabFresh service. Which combines HappyFresh’s grocery shopping expertise with GrabExpress’ same-day courier service. Grab also offers integration with GrabPay for mobile payments and GrabProfiles for user authentication.
Grab wants to do more for its users, is using partnerships across Southeast Asia to reach out and achieve more. A strategy that seems to be paying off as it allows the company to expand its services without having to develop its own expertise. Instead, banking on the capabilities of existing companies in the countries where it operates.
A part of this new strategy sees a new interface for the standard Grab app being introduced. This expands the offerings of the app beyond simply being able to flag down cars. It already integrates the GrabPay digital wallet, and will also include a new Grab Daily tab which introduces news and promotions that may be relevant to the user. Grab Daily will be powered by a partnership with Yahoo. Covering news from Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
The ultimate goal for Grab is to create a Superapp which is capable of meeting all the needs for its users; and not just transportation. The new app interface allows the company to quickly add new services, with space for a large amount of expansion. Plans for games to appear on the Superapp are also on the cards, but no details were available to be shared.
One thing users will notice is that there is also a GrabFood tab in the new interface. Unfortunately, this seems to only exist if the user has the GrabFood app installed; as it is only a link to the app. There’s no telling when GrabFood will be completely integrated with the main Grab app, but it looks like steps are being taken in that direction.
The new Grab interface is rolling out for iOS users today in Indonesia and Singapore, with Android users in those regions seeing it on 18 July. Grab’s other markets will see it appearing by the end of Q3
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