Proximus, Mobile-For, Be-Mobile and Flow start unique Smart Mobility company
- Be-Mobile, Flow and Mobile-For, a Proximus subsidiary, combine their activities in one new company.
- The company offers innovative mobility solutions to increase the accessibility of cities and to manage and optimize traffic flows through services such as traffic monitoring, dynamic traffic control, electronic toll collecting, and electronic ticketing for parking services.
- The aim is to become a strong national and international player in order to make a significant contribution to a sustainable mobility.
Proximus invests in innovation with local partners
The creation of a Smart Mobility company ties in perfectly with Proximus' strategy to invest in innovation in order to grow in a sustainable way as a company and to offer customers solutions that improve their lives and allow them to work smarter. By combining the expertise of Mobile-For, Be-Mobile and Flow, the company can become a strong player with a local base, using the Internet of Things and Big Data to offer innovative mobility solutions.
The new company will occupy a unique market position in the field of Smart Mobility, offering solutions to motorists, companies, cities and governments. It will offer its expertise to increase the accessibility of cities, manage and optimize traffic flows through services such as mobility monitoring, dynamic traffic control, electronic toll collecting, and electronic ticketing for parking services. Touring will become a strategic partner in Belgium and the long collaboration with Be-Mobile for the Touring Mobilis application will be continued and further reinforced.
By this agreement, Proximus is the majority shareholder of the new company, which had a consolidated turnover of around 15 million Euro in 2015. The turnover will be fully incorporated into Proximus' results as of 2016. The new company, whose name will be chosen in the coming weeks, is led by Jan Cools and Philip Taillieu, former CEOs of Be-Mobile and Flow. Stéphane Jacobs, co-founder of Mobile-For, will lead the Mobile Payments department. The company has its headquarters in Ghent and employs about 50 people.
Be-Mobile, Flow and Mobile-For join forces in Smart Mobility
Be-Mobile: real-time traffic information
Jan Cools founded Be-Mobile in 2006. The company has developed an innovative system which supplements traditional sources of traffic information (traffic loops) with anonymous data collected via track & trace systems and mobile applications. Be-Mobile analyzes the collected data in real time and can therefore immediately send information on congestion and travel times to navigation systems, mobile applications and traffic centers. The data that Be-Mobile collects is also valuable for mobility studies.
Flow: dynamic traffic management based on sensors
In 2008, Philip Taillieu launched the company Flow, a sister company of Be-Mobile. Flow develops parking technology for cities and municipalities in order to monitor traffic using sensors and guide motorists to free parking spaces by means of dynamic signage. Flow offers “Mobigo”, a mobile application to electronically pay for parking, in different cities. Flow is also the Belgian market leader in traffic management during road works and events, and offers counting systems for bicycles and traffic analysis based on temporary sensors.
Be-Mobile and Flow deliver services to companies (e.g. Volvo, Opel, Renault, Toyota, Rossel, IPM, CIM, Brussels Airport, Transitec and Touring), governments (the Flemish government, the Dutch government, Sofico), cities (e.g. Antwerp, Aalst, Ostend, Kortrijk, Tournai and Roeselare), festivals and radio/TV channels (e.g. VRT and RTL). Besides the Benelux, Be-Mobile and Flow are active in Western Europe, Turkey and Brazil.
Mobile-For: electronic ticketing systems for public transport and parking spaces, digital licenses and charging stations for electric cars
Mobile-For, a subsidiary of Proximus, is the Belgian market leader for electronic ticketing for parking with its “4411” service. In 29 cities in Belgium, motorists can pay for a parking space on the street or in a parking garage by SMS or via the “4411” app. Mobile-For is a partner of De Lijn for the electronic ticketing of bus fares by SMS for the Proximus customers. The company also provides the technology used in the payment module of charging stations for electric cars and for the digital licenses issued by cities and municipalities.
A strong national and international player for mobility solutions
I firmly believe that by joining forces with these Belgian innovative growth companies, we will create a leading player of Smart Mobility solutions in Belgium and abroad. By combining our expertise, we will enhance our contribution of sustainable and innovative solutions for cities and governments to help them address their mobility challenges.
By having Proximus on board as a new partner and by combining the unique expertise that exists within Be-Mobile, Flow and Mobile-For, we are convinced that we can respond more effectively to one of the most urgent social challenges of the moment: mobility.
Traffic technology plays a key role in increasing the accessibility of cities and making our traffic safer. Thanks to Proximus' investment, we can grow faster in Belgium and abroad. We are therefore delighted to be starting this new chapter for our companies.
