Know the Incredible Use of Big Data Analytics in Uber Uber is a taxi booking service connecting users who need to get somewhere with drivers willing to give them a ride via a smartphone app. Regular taxi drivers have claimed that the service is destroying their livelihoods, and there are concerns about the company's drivers' lack of regulation. This hasn't stopped it from being hugely successful; since its initial launch in 2009 to serve only India, the service has expanded to many major cities on every continent. The company is firmly rooted in Big Data and leveraging this data more effectively than traditional taxi companies has been critical to its success. The entire Uber business model is based on the Big Data principle of crowdsourcing. Anyone with a car willing to help someone get somewhere can offer to drive them there. Uber has a large database of drivers in all the cities it serves, so when a passenger requests a ride, they can immediately match you with the best drivers. Fares are calculated automatically using GPS, street data, and the company's own algorithms, which make adjustments based on the length of the journey. This is a significant distinction from traditional taxi services in that customers are charged for the length of the journey rather than the distance traveled.
Price increase These algorithms continuously monitor traffic conditions and journey times, allowing prices to be adjusted as demand for rides changes and traffic conditions cause journeys to take longer. This encourages more drivers to drive when needed and stay at home when demand is low. The company has applied for a patent on this Big Data-informed pricing method known as "surge pricing." This algorithm-based approach with little human oversight has occasionally caused issues it was reported that traffic conditions in New York on New Year's Eve 2011 increased fares sevenfold, with a one-mile journey increasing in price from $27 to $135 overnight. This is an example of "dynamic pricing," which hotel chains and airlines use to adjust prices to meet demand; however, rather than simply raising prices on weekends and holidays, it uses predictive modeling to estimate demand in real time. To learn more about predictive modeling techniques, refer to the machine learning course in Mumbai.