Big Data in Practice

42 UBER How Big Data Is At The Centre Of Uber’s Transportation Business

Background

Uber is a smartphone app-based taxi booking service which connects users who need to get somewhere with drivers willing to give them a ride. The service has been hugely popular. Since being launched to serve San Francisco in 2009, the service has been expanded to many major cities on every continent except for Antarctica, and the company are now valued at $41 billion. The business are rooted firmly in Big Data, and leveraging this data in a more effective way than traditional taxi firms has played a huge part in their success.

What Problem Is Big Data Helping To Solve?

Uber’s entire business model is based on the very Big Data principle of crowdsourcing: anyone with a car who is willing to help someone get to where they want to go can offer to help get them there. This gives greater choice for those who live in areas where there is little public transport, and helps to cut the number of cars on our busy streets by pooling journeys.

How Is Big Data Used In Practice?

Uber store and monitor data on every journey their users take, and use it to determine demand, allocate resources and set fares. The company also carry out in-depth analysis of public transport networks in the cities they serve, so they can focus coverage in poorly served areas and provide links to buses and trains.

Uber hold a vast database of drivers in all of the cities they cover, so when a passenger asks for a ride, they can ...