Sap, Nokia build an app to end the solo commute

Driving alone to work can be costly for employees.

Business management software company SAP says solo commuting also hurts companies because it can lead to a loss in productivity and higher corporate fleet costs.

Nearly two years ago, SAP rolled out cloud-based corporate ride-sharing platform TwoGo within its own offices to help reduce costs and improve networking among its employees.

Today, the company has made the app available to other companies.

The app, which is powered by Nokia's location cloud, can drive employee participation in a company's existing ride-sharing program as well as help businesses reduce costs for corporate fleets, parking infrastructure and travel expenses, said SAP. TwoGo can be used on various mobile devices, the Web and calendar applications.

TwoGo can be rolled out across organizations, matching employees into carpools automatically and according to their individual preferences.

Once a company licenses TwoGo, employees can sign up online and enter their ride-sharing preferences, such as proximity, timing to and from work and willingness to leave the highway to pick up passengers. As soon as an employee enters their preferences, a match is made and communication is handled automatically via email or SMS.

Companies can boost their ride-sharing numbers by allowing employees to carpool with people working at neighboring businesses that also use TwoGo.

Since SAP began using TwoGo internally in July 2011, it has avoided expenses related to employee travel, increased networking among employees and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by helping to eliminate 400,000 miles of driving and avoid 88 tons of GHGs. In all, SAP estimates TwoGo has generated more than $5 million in value for the company.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com