Press Releases

Budapest, September 11, 2014 11:30

The economy based on community level sharing was the theme of the press event organized by Telekom this afternoon, in the Budapest Bródy Studio. According to the telecommunication service provider, telecommunication networks and smart tools were key in establishing a new lifestyle and the success of enterprises built on them is also largely dependent on them. Therefore the company created a platform also available on mobile devices, to make Hungarian enterprises more popular. Speakers at the event also included Christopher Cederskog, regional director of Airbnb, possibly the best-known player of the market.

Sharing Economy is a business model built on sharing resources and tools, enabling users, the customers to use anything when they need it, without having to buy those. Thanks to broadband Internet even immediate needs can be matched with the actual supply – in addition, platforms enabling sharing become available to much more people, in structured ways. Using smartphones with GPS feature, one can see exactly where the car to be rented is parked, while using community sites we can check beforehand in whose home we shall spend a few days – payment and invoicing is implemented on t he secure site of the mediator.
Online organizing communities play an important role in creating the community economy, as they are established by people wishing to assist each other, intending to better utilize products owned by them hence lowering the risk of over-production and decreasing the ecological footprint.
The model is proven by such enterprises sprouting up in ever more areas, and ever more people realize all around the world that they don’t have to buy a drilling machine to get a whole in the wall. The global Sharing Economy is a new and emerging market already estimated to be worth over $530 billion. At the moment there are more than 9000 enterprises offering sharing services worldwide. Possibly the best known of them, Airbnb is a global community marketplace that connects travellers seeking authentic, high-quality accommodations with hosts who offer unique places to stay.„This year alone we served more than 10 million guests, upping our total number of guests to more than 20 million since our start in 2008. This makes us one of the leaders in the Sharing Economy” – said Christopher Cederskog, regional manager at Airbnb.

BlaBlaCar, offering a community-based platform connecting drivers with empty seats with people looking for a ride, is also on its way to becoming a global player. „More than 10 million registered users in 12 countries and over 2 million people travelling with us every month indicate that our company addresses a global need: low-cost and sustainable transportation. By using BlaBlaCar, drivers save on fuel costs while each passenger is only paying a fraction of the price that the same trip would cost by plane or train.  We consider Hungary a very interesting market and plan to establish our presence in all Central-Eastern European markets very soon” – said Christian Schiller, PR & Partnership Manager of BlaBlaCar for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Additionally to foreign companies, nowadays there are also ever more Hungarian enterprises. „4G mobile internet ensures instant access to the new possibilities offered by Sharing Economy. Telekom that first launched the 4G service in Hungary and has a residential coverage of more than 50% provides supports and availability to all initiatives which offer new possibilities and contents for human communication. We target to use our tools in raising awareness about community economy based enterprises, therefore we created a website, an umbrella platform also available to users of mobile devices, where we introduce and make easily accessible to Hungarian start-ups” – said Christoper Mattheisen, CEO of Magyar Telekom.

On the www.telekom.hu/kozossegereje website Oszkár and Autohop tele-car service providers introduce themselves, as well as Miutcank.hu, enabling people  living in the same neighborhood to run errands or give ideas to each other about reliable craftsmen. Rukkola unites people who give up the joy of possessing and prefer that of reading. Piqniq is a food-sharing site, enabling users not only to exchange food photos and recipes, but also culinary experiences. One can also find community gardens here, not only creating communities but also providing fresh vegetables, fruits and spices to city dwellers caring for these gardens. 30 km.hu not only enables users to spot but also order the high quality, fresh products of farmers and craftsmen living in the neighborhood. Community offices, like Loffice, Thehub and Hive are presented, too, as well as Kreanod targeting knowledge sharing is also included. Tasclr mediates tasks and assistance, while using  Járókelő one can report any faults or defects experiences on the go and the system – instead of us – informs the relevant agency, so the problem gets resolved.