Innovative location technology company what3words launches app in Vietnam
what3words, a global company with big ambitions for Vietnam has today announced the launch of its app in Vietnamese. Street addresses in Vietnam and across the world are often complex, postal codes can cover broad areas, and most of the time, don’t lead to exactly the right place. In urban areas, street number distribution can be inconsistent, especially in places with a complex maze of alleys. In rural areas, addresses can be difficult to find using smartphone apps, negatively impacting the delivery and navigation experience. This is something what3words is designed to solve.
what3words has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares, and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. For example, ///letter.cookie.shelving identifies a specific entrance at the Ben Thanh Market. The technology is used across industries including automotive, navigation, travel, logistics, ecommerce, humanitarian and ride-hailing. It works offline and in 54 languages, including Vietnamese. The what3words app is free to download for both iOS and Android , and is also available via an online map at what3words.com
Adoption of what3words in Vietnam is growing at pace. VinFast became the first all-electric carmaker to integrate what3words, and its brand new VF8 and VF9 electric vehicles are equipped with the innovative location technology. Now, VinFast drivers can enter a Vietnamese what3words address, to seamlessly navigate to any 3m x 3m square location. It means drivers always arrive at the correct destination without getting lost, whether that’s a rural fishing spot, a rural unnamed street, or a specific apartment complex entrance. VinFast is committed to equipping its vehicles with state-of-the-art technology, and is set to bring what3words voice capabilities to cars next year.
Mr Hoang Chi Trung, CEO of VinFast Trading Vietnam says: “With our focus on the customer, Vinfast is committed to bringing a transportation experience that is sustainable and smart through advanced technology and ground breaking solutions. We are delighted to work with what3words to bring an accurate and user-friendly navigation experience to users of VinFast in Vietnam and the world. We promise to never stop innovating and to continue to bring advanced technology for a safe and engaging driving experience, becoming the user’s dependable companion on every journey.”
To add to this, Hoa Sen Viet Group is the first retailer to apply what3words technology to the transportation and e-commerce industry in Vietnam. With this innovative location technology, every online order is assured to be transported to its destination with utmost accuracy when users input their what3words address at the checkout step. For example, customers of brands such as Reebok, The Face Shop and Beauty Box in Vietnam can input their what3words address in addition to their usual delivery address when selecting same day delivery service. The provided information will then be transferred to Hoa Sen Viet’s transportation partner, Ahamove, a groundbreaking logistic service in Vietnam. Using this information, Ahamove’s delivery driver can easily identify any location square to ensure that the order is shipped to the consumer at the right time, and to the right place.
Mrs Huong Dang, E-commerce Platform Manager (TheFaceShop, Beauty Box, Reebok Vietnam) of Hoa Sen Viet Group, says: “With the mission of bringing an unforgettable experience to each user wherever they are in their journey of taking care of their health and looks, Hoa Sen Viet Group always sets its eyes on perfecting the user’s experience at every touchpoint.
Having orders shipped by our partner to the right location and faster than the expected time has contributed to our goal of bringing an unforgettable experience to the users. For this reason, what3words was selected to be integrated to our multi channel shopping experience, to ensure that no one will be left behind despite their regular address being difficult to locate – this is a practical solution for our transportation partners in order to optimise time, cost and effort in delivering to hard-to-reach places. We will continuously strive to improve and apply advanced technologies to perfect our operation and user experience.”
Chris Sheldrick, Co-founder and CEO of what3words , adds “We’re incredibly excited about the potential for what3words in Vietnam. Aside from using the what3words app for day-to-day location sharing, so many of the country’s on-demand apps and services require a location, which could now be more precise with a what3words address.”
what3words is being used by millions across the world. The technology has been adopted by leading car brands to enable drivers to navigate to precise destinations with ease. E-commerce and logistics giants such as DHL and Domino’s Pizza are using the technology to collect precise delivery locations at checkout, and to make sure goods arrive exactly where they’re needed. Companies such as Lonely Planet use what3words to help travellers find hotel entrances and hidden gems. Emergency call centres are also embracing what3words at a rapid pace, with control rooms in the UK, US, Singapore, and beyond all utilising the innovative technology. Just like street addresses, what3words addresses are being displayed on website contact pages, event invites, and business cards, so people can find exact destinations with ease. And every day, what3words is being used to arrange meet-ups in parks and on beaches and to share running, hiking, and sports match locations.
The Vietnamese version of the press release can be found here .