How Tech Companies Are Looking to Solve China's Burgeoning Parking Problem
 
May 25, 2017
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The automotive industry is considered one of the fastest-growing sectors in China. It is powering the country’s economic growth and showing steady growth. According to statistics released by the government, car sales grew from 6.76 million units in 2008 to 24.38 million in 2016. This steady increase in car sales resulted in the number of cars jumping from 64 million in 2008 to a whopping 194 million in 2016.

The big jump in the number of vehicles across the country has caused serious problems. Aside from the fact that the road network is not capable of keeping up, China is also facing problems with parking. Several tech companies are trying to solve China's parking problem by offering smarter solutions.

Parkopedia and Smart Parking

More intelligent in-car entertainment systems allow drivers to have more information on the road. These systems can communicate with data sources to provide drivers with the information they need, including information about parking spaces available nearby. This is where Parkopedia comes in.

The company partners with car manufacturers like Audi to bring its parking data to cars. Parkopedia is the world’s largest parking service provider offering a premium parking service. Through Amap, China's leading provider of map data, Parkopedia can deliver information about available parking spaces directly to in-car navigation systems.

Parkopedia is also working with other OEMs, including Apple, BMW, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Land Rover, TomTom, Toyota, and Volvo. The company relies on its tried and tested solution to allow drivers to find a parking space nearby within seconds.

U-Parking for Urban Drivers

While Parkopedia focuses more on the technological side of the equation, U-Parking is investing a lot of money to provide parking spaces in China’s highly populated urban areas. The company is also investing in smarter solutions to make parking a breeze.

The latest addition to the company’s services is parking spot booking, which lets drivers use an app to book a parking spot at U-Parking-managed facilities. The company is also an expert in advanced parking management with its automated allocation system and better parking space utilisation. The system can even recognise license plates, as well as the car make and model, to distribute cars to available parking spaces more efficiently.

More Solutions

Despite both companies pushing to deliver a better parking experience to drivers in China, there are still many challenges to overcome. However, parking space booking is considered to be part of the solution going forward. The solution also works well in other countries that are facing similar problems with parking.

In the UK, for example, YourParkingSpace offers access to an advanced booking system for parking spaces. Customers can use YourParkingSpace to seek available spaces and make instant bookings in just a couple of taps. The same can be said for SpotHero in the US.

The Chinese government is also taking steps to increase the number of parking facilities available, especially in the major cities, where most of the population drive. By working together with tech start-ups, China will be able to cure its parking problems and provide a better experience to drivers across the country.

 
 
China and Japan's Gateway to Worldwide Golf Courses
 
Nov 28, 2016
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Leading Golf Booking Platform golfscape Releases Bookings in Multiple Languages

by golfscape on November 2016

For the first time, golf-enthusiasts from China and Japan can book golf tee times in over 50 golf destinations in their mother-tongue.

Both destinations provide a huge proportion of golf tourism revenue to Western countries year-on-year. As Chinese and Japanese cultures look to spend on tourism experiences, this opens up a great opportunity for golf courses and golf destinations around the world.

This project came about as a reaction to the high demand of Chinese and Japanese golfers arriving to the golfscape platform to book golf in Bali and around the world. It was clear customers wanted a richer experience in a language they understand. golfscape responded by focusing on the concept of making sure Japan and China could book tee times as easily as English speakers.

The platform has been live in Asia as a beta service for the past two weeks. golfscape has generated hundreds of bookings from Asian speakers, and the feedback from both these communities has been tremendous.

About golfscape
golfscape is a leading worldwide golf-travel search platform, a place where people are inspired to plan and book golf direct with hundreds of top golf courses around the world.

For more information visit golfscape at https://golfscape.com
Press Contacts: Keesa O’Dea
keesa@golfscape.com
+971525020815

 
 
When to Fly and When to Stay Put: Questions to Ask Before Holding an Expensive In-Person Meeting
 
Sep 16, 2016
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If you are the owner of a business that is just starting out, then you know the struggles of ensuring that you are making every single cent that comes out of your pocket will count. There are a ton of things you will have to shell out cash for, and one of these things may have to be the dreaded in-person meetings and conventions. The average cost of airfare these days is not exactly friendly on the wallet, pocket, or bank account, either. According to data outlined in an article by Airlines for America, the average cost for a domestic flight per passenger was around $363.98, excluding the reservation fee and bag fee. What more would you have to spend on an international flight these days, not to mention the need for decent board and lodging?

With that in mind, when should you bother booking a flight to another city, town, country, or even continent? When should you just convince the other person to talk about the subject over a nice cup of virtual coffee—that is, by starting up a video conference with you on a reliable web meeting software? In this article, we will give you a few reasons why you may want to hold off on buying any airfare and hotel room accommodations for certain discussions that you have to participate in.

Book a Flight for That Meet-Up If…

You Want to Have a Better Idea of How a Person Interacts with You.

An article written by Caroline McMillan for the website The Muse notes that there are often subtle body movements you make that could affect how other people see you as a person. You can easily look a person up and down and make your own assessments about their personality from head to toe if you were able to see them in person.

On the other hand, if you rely on a video call, then you will not be able to see the person’s entire body language from the waist down. In most online meetings, you only ever get to see a person from the shoulders up, depending on how they have decided to angle their camera. What if they are actually tapping their foot impatiently because they want you to stop talking already? What if they have their legs crossed because they really do not feel comfortable around you? What if they are actually just lounging around in their underwear because they cannot find any reason why they should take the extra effort of putting on some decent pair of pants? There is a lot that you will not get to see that could tell you volumes about a person’s attitude toward you, so sometimes, it can pay to shell out some cash, especially if you are going to try to seal the deal with a new client or a new business partner.

Do Not Get on a Plane If…

You Need a Really Quick Response to an Urgent Question That You Have

Do you need a super quick reply to a very urgent problem? In cases like this, it will be so much easier for you to relay your message via a quick live chat, a video call, or even by leaving somebody an e-mail if it really cannot be helped. Whether you are in a pinch or want to conduct these types of calls regularly, video conferencing in business can be done over reliable platforms such as BlueJeans. It is super easy to pick up and use, which means less time wasted on troubleshooting any errors.

Are you hoping to meet up to discuss some rather in-depth plans, instead of resolving a potential crisis? Even then, e-mail, chat, or even video calls can still do a better job than all the effort it would take to pack your bags and fly overseas. All you need to do is to make a note of what you absolutely have to tackle in your discussion, and then figure out an action plan by working together on a solution.

In Conclusion: Do You Want a Complete Picture or Do You Just Need a Speedy Response?

Though web conferencing software does allow you to see the other person, you will only get to see them from the waist up, which is sometimes not enough to give you a complete picture of how they are feeling about your conversation. For example, you will not be able to see if they are crossing their legs, which may imply that they are getting impatient or that they are closing themselves off from you. You will also not be able to see whether or not they bothered to put on a respectable pair of pants that day, either. For all that you know, they might actually be wearing their favorite pair of worn-out and cute pajamas.

 
 
How Guarantor Loans Can Improve Your Situation
 
Aug 10, 2016
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Are you upset that your low credit score is keeping you from the loans that you need? If you have answered yes, you must think that there is little way of improving your current condition. Just because you have negative terms on your credit report does not necessarily mean your chances of getting a loan in the future are impossible. A guarantor loan may be one of the best options of achieving your financial goals regardless of your past issues. These type of loans are designed for people who have a credit score. However, one must be at least 18 years of age, has verifiable employments, and can get someone to guarantee their monthly payments on the loan once approved. Lenders realize that there is more to a person than just their credit score and look for people who have friends and family that are willing to vouch for them. Before you visit one of the guarantor loans websites like guarantorloansuk.net, let's take a minute to see how they actually work and how they can benefit you.

Understanding The Workings Of A Guarantor Loan

If you have a poor credit score and have never been able to borrow money from a trusted lending source, it is difficult to get lending from anyone. When one does not have a credit score, the lender is unable to make a determination on how reliable or trustworthy the borrower is. This is where a guarantor comes into play. The borrower needs to find someone that knows they will pay the money back and act as a guarantor for them. In order to be approved the guarantor must have an outstanding credit rating. While just about anyone can be classified as a guarantor, it is best to keep with family and friends.

The guarantor will need to vouch for the applicant and be fully aware of the role they are playing in the application process. One of the main benefits, other than getting approved for the loan, is that one can boost their own credit score through the guarantor's credit rating.

Knowing The Benefits Of A Guarantor Loan

There are several benefits of a co-signed loan that many borrowers are not even aware of. In fact, these benefits have made the guarantor loans one of the most popular lending solutions today! Here are just a few of the benefits one can expect:

No Credit Checks - Perhaps the greatest benefit of one of these loans is one does not need any type of credit to be approved. Of course, there will be a primary pull of the credit report, yet it is not a serious factor in getting approved.

Credit Rating Increase - One of the long term benefits of a guarantor loan is it will help to increase the borrower's credit by piggybacking off the guarantor. These types of loans are only approved if the guarantor has a high enough credit score and is able to carry the monthly payments if the primary borrower can not. As the payments are made on a monthly basis, this will have a positive effect on the borrower's credit rating.

Large Cash Amounts - Many are surprised at how much cash they are able to borrow through a guarantor loan. If the guarantor has incredibly good credit, the loans can be for rather high amounts which can be helpful in emergency situations.

As you can see, it is still very possible to get a loan with poor credit. Your first step is to find a trusted guarantor and apply for a loan. As with any loan, it is best to do your research before applying.