​Samsung to supply car infotainment to ride-hailing firm Grab

Samsung Electronics has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Southeast Asia's largest car-hailing firm, Grab.

The South Korean tech giant will supply its car infotainment system to Grab's taxis, starting with those in Singapore that give suggested hot spots and optimized advertisements.

The firm will also supply its smartphones and tablets with its enterprise security solution, Knox.

Grab offers car-sharing for cabs, cars, and motorcycles in 186 cities in eight countries: Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Its app is installed in over 77 million mobile devices and has 2.3 million registered drivers.

Samsung will also offer a financing program for registered drivers to allow them to purchase the company's latest smartphones easier. In Myanmar, 1,400 drivers used the program last year and the company will expand it to all countries this year.

The firm will also supply its smartphones and tablets installed with Knox for use at GrabKiosks and GrabBooths, Grab's offline booths in airports, hotels, and shopping malls that help foreigners install Grab and use its services without subscribing.

In November, Samsung supplied its Gear VR for use in Malaysia's Legoland.

The company has also deployed its mobile payment service Samsung Pay across Southeast Asia.

Samsung formed an auto-component business in 2015 and has since then been offering various in-car solutions. The firm showcased its digital cockpit and telematics solution at CES earlier this year.

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