Didi Chuxing announced today that it has received new investment totaling $600 million from Toyota Motor Corporation. As part of the deal, the two companies will also set up a joint venture with GAC Toyota Motor to provide vehicle-related services to drivers on Didi’s ride-sharing platform. GAC Toyota itself is a joint venture between Toyota and GAC Group, one of China’s largest automakers.

Nikkei Asian Review first broke news of the deal at the end of May, reporting that Toyota was considering a $550 million investment in Didi and setting up a new mobility-services company in China.

Didi and Toyota announced last year 2018 that it would work together on services that use technology developed by Toyota for its mobility and vehicle-sharing platform, which includes autonomous driving software, a fully electric battery and the “e-Palette,” or modules that can be used to build autonomous vehicles of different sizes, ranging from small ones for deliveries to passenger buses.

Toyota has also backed other vehicle-sharing companies, including Uber and JapanTaxi.

DiDi’s partnership with Toyota is one of several partnerships it has made with car manufacturers and other vehicle-related companies as part of its D-Alliance, including Toyota, Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, as well as major Chinese automakers like FAW, Dongfeng and GAC, with the intention of expanding its reach beyond its ride-hailing services by creating a platform that uses new energy, AI-based and mobility technology.

Didi recently announced that it will open its ride-hailing platform to third-party service providers as part of agreements with FAW, Dongfeng and GAC, three of China’s largest auto makers.

Bird’s somewhat weird but also very clever global expansion model is to let others handle it, and one of those others is bringing their service online this month. Bird Canada, which is a wholly Canadian-owned company entirely distinct from Bird, will begin offering on-demand electric scooter rental service in Alberta this month, with plans to offer its services across more Canadian communities on a gradual rollout schedule after that.

Bird Canada will be operating its service under the Platform plan that the original Bird announced earlier this year, which will see it acquire its scooters from the U.S. Bird at cost, and gain access to the Santa Monica-based startup’s tools, software and technology to operate the service, in exchange for a 20 percent cut of ride revenue.

The new Canadian e-scooter company is founded by Canadian serial entrepreneur and Toronto Raptors founder John Bitove (he led the bid that brought the NBA expansion team to Toronto in 1993), who will act as the company’s Chairman. Bird Canada’s day-to-day operations will be overseen by CEO Steward Lyons, who previously worked with Bitove on SiriusXM’s Canadian business and the startup national wireless provider Mobilicity which the two entrepreneurs founded together.

For its part, the Canadian entity will operate the fleet, including recharging the electric, battery-powered scooters and ensuring they’re in good working order. Local operators are also the ones who’ll need to work with city and any other relevant governing officials, which is a big reason why this probably seemed like the wisest or at least most expedient path to getting revenue from markets outside the U.S. for Bird.

Bird is also being selective about how it rolls out these franchise-like Platform partnerships, by picking only one partner per region and also by avoiding any such partnerships in markets where it does have an interest in eventually expanding itself.

Both Lyons and Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden provided quotes around this news that emphasize how scooter charing can offer sustainable, affordable transportation that helps alleviate traffic, and Lyons specifically said that Alberta is “leading the way in Canada.” The regulatory environment around scooters is at best murky in most Canadian cities, and local governing authorities are scrambling to figure out what the formal rules should be ahead of the scooter explosion traveling north of the U.S. border in a bigger way.

Bird Canada is likely hoping to set the tone for that conversation and be involved in encouraging more communities beyond those in Alberta to open its arms to on-demand rental businesses, but it’ll be interesting to see what kind of reception these receive, and what approach Bird Canada takes to managing their fleet in the country’s harsher winter conditions.

The City of Paris has had enough. There are currently 12 (yes, twelve) scooter startups in Paris. As reported by Le Monde, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo announced in a press conference a series of restrictions to regulate the space.

First, there are just too many scooter startups — Bird, Bolt, Bolt by Usain Bolt, Circ, Dott, Hive, Jump, Lime, Tier, Voi, Ufo and Wind. They all have funny-sounding names and there are even two different companies with the same name (Bolt).

Paris plans to hand out two or three licenses to operate. The French government is currently working on a mobility law. The City of Paris plans to select companies after the parliament approves the law. As part of the selection process, they want to make sure that companies have a sustainable approach when it comes to fixing broken scooters and not dumping them after a few weeks. Companies will also be selected based on how they pay workers charging scooters overnight.

Paris had already taken some actions against scooter startups before today. You can’t ride a scooter on the pavement and scooter operators have to pay €50 per scooter per year.

And yet, there are already 20,000 scooters in the streets of Paris. That’s why the city is going one step further and banning scooters from parks. You also won’t be able to park a scooter on the pavement.

You have to find a parking spot for cars and put your scooter over there. That sounds like a mess and I’m not sure how it’s going to work but it’s clear that there are too many scooters and not enough areas to park them in Paris right now.

While electric scooters aren’t as fast in Europe as in the U.S., Paris wants to limit top speed even more. The maximum speed will be 20kmph instead of 25kmph (12mph down from 16mph).

Let’s see if Paris can implement those restrictions quickly and if scooter startups are going to comply with this new set of rules.

Basic internet-based phone calls aren’t new to many of our readers. Skype has been around for over a decade and there are dozens of other free apps with limited features. Picking a voice over IP

(VoIP) solution for a small business is still a tricky prospect, though. Let’s take a look at what it entails.

Total cost of ownership

The most pressing concern when adopting new technology is the price tag, but calculating the total cost of ownership for a VoIP solution involves a number of variables that will change from year to year. Before signing on the dotted line, ask for an estimate of each cost over a three-to-five-year period based on your growth plan. Important items include:

• Basic subscription costs (How many numbers will you need in year one vs. year three?)
• Feature upgrades (Do you plan to add new components as you expand?)
• Office moves (How much will a VoIP relocation cost? Will there be significant downtime?)
• Hardware costs (Will you need to purchase new handsets?)

By partnering with a managed IT services provider (MSP) like us, you can drastically reduce routine VoIP security and maintenance costs by rolling them into your monthly service plan.

Customer service

Another reason to sign up for an internet-based telecom through an MSP is personalization, which is especially important for a solution that is often used outside the office. IT providers guarantee their availability and response times with service level agreements so you know exactly what kind of support you’ll receive every time you make a request.

Imagine the difference in service between a VoIP vendor and your local MSP if a remote employee were struggling to connect to a sales call. One is going to connect you to a call center hundreds of miles away for help, while the other already knows your business before picking up — which provider do you think is going to offer better long-term support?

Features

Aside from the cost savings, advanced call features are the leading advantage of VoIP over traditional landlines. Most providers offer similar features, but there may be small differences. Take a look at all the options and rank them by priority before choosing a provider. Consider things like:

• Call recording
• Voicemail transcription
• Text messaging
• Video conferencing

Phone numbers that can be used on multiple devices is foundational to internet-based phones, and although nine out of ten vendors will hit all the mobility benchmarks, make sure to double-check you won’t be missing out on any basic features.

Our team has partnered with the best VoIP providers in the industry to produce a hassle-free solution for small businesses. To learn about the customer service, costs, and features included in our VoIP solutions, give us a call today.

The time has passed when small businesses had limited options for internet-based phone calls. Today, there are so many affordable and feature-rich VoIP solutions, and picking the right one often feels overwhelming. The ideal choice will be different for every business, but understanding a few key variables should help you significantly narrow down your options.

Total cost of ownership

The most pressing concern when adopting new technology is the price tag, but calculating the total cost of ownership for a VoIP solution involves a number of variables that will change from year to year. Before signing on the dotted line, ask for an estimate of each cost over a three-to-five-year period based on your growth plan. Important items include:

• Basic subscription costs (How many numbers will you need in year one vs. year three?)
• Feature upgrades (Do you plan to add new components as you expand?)
• Office moves (How much will a VoIP relocation cost? Will there be significant downtime?)
• Hardware costs (Will you need to purchase new handsets?)

By partnering with a managed IT services provider (MSP) like us, you can drastically reduce routine VoIP security and maintenance costs by rolling them into your monthly service plan.

Customer service

Another reason to sign up for an internet-based telecom through an MSP is personalization, which is especially important for a solution that is often used outside the office. IT providers guarantee their availability and response times with service level agreements so you know exactly what kind of support you’ll receive every time you make a request.

Imagine the difference in service between a VoIP vendor and your local MSP if a remote employee were struggling to connect to a sales call. One is going to connect you to a call center hundreds of miles away for help, while the other already knows your business before picking up — which provider do you think is going to offer better long-term support?

Features

Aside from the cost savings, advanced call features are the leading advantage of VoIP over traditional landlines. Most providers offer similar features, but there may be small differences. Take a look at all the options and rank them by priority before choosing a provider. Consider things like:

• Call recording
• Voicemail transcription
• Text messaging
• Video conferencing

Phone numbers that can be used on multiple devices is foundational to internet-based phones, and although nine out of ten vendors will hit all the mobility benchmarks, make sure to double-check you won’t be missing out on any basic features.

Our team has partnered with the best VoIP providers in the industry to produce a hassle-free solution for small businesses. To learn about the customer service, costs, and features included in our VoIP solutions, give us a call today.

Voice over IP (VoIP) technology epitomizes every small-business owner’s IT goals. It’s affordable, flexible, and full of features that make it a valuable long-term investment. There are countless worthwhile VoIP options. You just need to know your priorities and what to look for.

Total cost of ownership

The most pressing concern when adopting new technology is the price tag, but calculating the total cost of ownership for a VoIP solution involves a number of variables that will change from year to year. Before signing on the dotted line, ask for an estimate of each cost over a three-to-five-year period based on your growth plan. Important items include:

• Basic subscription costs (How many numbers will you need in year one vs. year three?)
• Feature upgrades (Do you plan to add new components as you expand?)
• Office moves (How much will a VoIP relocation cost? Will there be significant downtime?)
• Hardware costs (Will you need to purchase new handsets?)

By partnering with a managed IT services provider (MSP) like us, you can drastically reduce routine VoIP security and maintenance costs by rolling them into your monthly service plan.

Customer service

Another reason to sign up for an internet-based telecom through an MSP is personalization, which is especially important for a solution that is often used outside the office. IT providers guarantee their availability and response times with service level agreements so you know exactly what kind of support you’ll receive every time you make a request.

Imagine the difference in service between a VoIP vendor and your local MSP if a remote employee were struggling to connect to a sales call. One is going to connect you to a call center hundreds of miles away for help, while the other already knows your business before picking up — which provider do you think is going to offer better long-term support?

Features

Aside from the cost savings, advanced call features are the leading advantage of VoIP over traditional landlines. Most providers offer similar features, but there may be small differences. Take a look at all the options and rank them by priority before choosing a provider. Consider things like:

• Call recording
• Voicemail transcription
• Text messaging
• Video conferencing

Phone numbers that can be used on multiple devices is foundational to internet-based phones, and although nine out of ten vendors will hit all the mobility benchmarks, make sure to double-check you won’t be missing out on any basic features.

Our team has partnered with the best VoIP providers in the industry to produce a hassle-free solution for small businesses. To learn about the customer service, costs, and features included in our VoIP solutions, give us a call today.