It’s been a great 2018 for Waze, as the platform in bringing together communities on and off the road hit one milestone after another to increase the number of happy faces and incidences of tune-free whistling on roads across the world.
Highlights range from the Waze Connected Citizens Program reaching over 800 global partners to the introduction of its 54th language and the launch of its full-service audio player - all of which aim to keep its 110+ million monthly active users worldwide more connected, informed and entertained behind the wheel.
Waze reaches more than 800 partners in the Connected Citizens Program
Launched in October 2014 with 10 city partners, the Waze Connected Citizens Program set out to offer a free, two-way data exchange that empowers partners to harness real-time driver insights to improve congestion and make better-informed planning decisions. Today, the programme has expanded to more than 800 partners, including state and country government agencies, nonprofits and first responders around the world.
Malaysian road users, particularly those in Selangor, have also reaped its benefits. With the Smart Selangor Delivery Unit (SSDU) of the state government among its partners, the Malaysian initiative removes the bumps from commutes by allowing road users to report potholes via the Waze app and have reported potholes patched within five days.
While more than 800 partners is a significant achievement, Waze is committed to helping future partners leverage mobile technology and crowdsourced traffic data to identify road conditions. Partners also have access to free Waze tools that make it easy for them to actively manage and improve the way we use our roads.
Waze is now available in more than 50 languages
As its community-supported navigational ecosystem grows, Waze has also become more diverse, committing itself to including more languages that allows users to enjoy navigational experiences in their native tongue. Waze is now closer to its goal of being as accessible as possible to users worldwide, thanks to the commitment of more than 150 translators working tirelessly over the last nine years to ensure increased inclusivity.
Waze introduced the Malay language here in 2013. New Mandarin voices were introduced early this year during Chinese New Year, while Cantonese, a dialect particularly popular in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh, recently joined the fold this November. Waze now has 54 languages available.
“With each new voice and language added, the app has become more open and more accessible to new groups across the world,” said Kelvin Sim, Waze Malaysia Country Manager. “And with more users onboard, Waze is not only becoming more diverse, but also getting closer to contributing to the common good on more roads and improving the way we move about the world.”
Waze Audio Kit
Inspired by positive user feedback from its first audio integration with Spotify in March 2017, Waze has launched a full service audio player for every taste and genre by partnering with the world’s leading audio platforms to seamlessly deliver music, podcasts, audiobooks, news and more.
Waze users will be able to try out a broad selection of content from eight audio partners: Spotify, Deezer, iHeartRadio, NPR, Pandora, Scribd, Stitcher, and TuneIn. These partners have integrated their audio experience into Waze by using a new suite of developer tools called the Waze Audio Kit.
Making Way for Two Wheelers
The Waze Motorcycle Mode was made available in late 2017 to Wazers worldwide for those who prefer to ride on two (or three) wheels. This latest vehicle type supported by Waze is complete with specialized routing to help make finding freedom on the open road simpler and faster.
On top of providing real-time road updates and alerts, Waze also allows motorcycle mode users to find optimized routes where fellow Wazers-on-wheels are riding and the more you ride in the motorcycle setting, the smarter the routing will become.
Breeze along the virtual map in style! The icing on the cake for this wonderfully convenient mode is the celebratory icons that were released in conjunction with its launch.
To check more ways with Waze, download the app today. For more information, please visit www.waze.com.
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