SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― Uber teamed up with dining and travel smartphone applications as the controversial Internet-age car-hailing service moved to park itself at the heart of mobile lifestyles.
The San Francisco-based startup let about a dozen businesses such as Starbucks, Hyatt Hotels, United Airlines, TripAdvisor and restaurant reservation service OpenTable make it simple for people to summon Uber cars from inside their applications for smartphones or tablet computers.
“We’re excited to partner with Uber to help TripAdvisor travelers conveniently find a ride to their destination in cities throughout the world,” TripAdvisor senior vice president of global product Adam Medros said.
Uber also released a software kit to allow makers of mobile apps to link to its platform, expanding its reach with a tactic that has proven effective for other Internet firms including Facebook and ramps up pressure on Uber’s rivals such as Lyft.
It means that after people book flights or make dinner reservations online, for example, they can easily arrange for Uber cars to get them to airports or restaurants.
