Asia Pacific Daily News - Focus on Asia-Pacific Development, Daily News Express, Scholar Creation Center

(LiDongmin,managerofBaiduMap,saysthemappingservicewillbuilditselfintoamulti-dimensionalinformationandserviceplatforminthenextdecadetolinkpeoplewithbricks-and-mortar. ProvidedtoChinaDaily)

BaiduMap,adesktopandmobileWebmappingserviceprovidedbyChina'sonlinesearchgiantBaiduInc,aimstobecomeamajorautoinsurancesellerinthecountry,saidaseniorexecutiveonMonday.

LiDongmin,managerofBaiduMap,saidinBeijingthatthemappingservicewillbecomethemainchannelforcarownerstobuyautoinsurance,withthefirmaimingtocover30percentofthemarketinthecomingthreeyears.

"UserbehaviorinsuranceisemerginginChinaandweknowalotaboutcarowners'drivingpreferences.Whataretheiraveragedrivingspeeds?Dodrivershitthebrakesveryoften?Allofthisdrivingbehaviorcanbetakenintoconsiderationtofindouthowmuchtheyneedtopayforautoinsurance,"hesaid,addingthatthecompanywillteamupwithprofessionalinsurancecompaniestorolloutsuchproducts.

Lididnotgiveaspecifictimetableforlaunchingtheuserbehaviorinsuranceservice.ButhesaidBaiduMap,whichrecentlylaunchedaservicetoselltraditionalautoinsuranceonitsmappingapplication,haswitnesseddailysalesofabout100,000yuan($15,430).

Accordingtothecompany,BaiduMaphasmorethan300millionactivemonthlyusersandabout100millioncarownersuseitsmappingservice.TheautoinsuranceserviceisonlyoneoftheoptionsBaiduMapwantstopursueinthefuture.Themappingservicewillbuilditselfintoamulti-dimensionalinformationandserviceplatformtolinkpeoplewithbricks-and-mortarservices,Lisaidatthemediaevent,whichcelebratedthe10thanniversaryofBaiduMap.

BaiduMap,whichinitiallyonlyprovidedmaprelatedinformation,hasintegratedvariousservicesonitsapplication,enablinguserstohailtaxis,bookrestaurantsandbuymovieticketsbasedontheirlocation.

ZhangXu,ananalystwithInternetconsultancyAnalysysInternational,saidBaiduMap'stransformationisinlinewiththecompany'sstrategytouseonline-to-offlinebusinessasitsnewengineforfuturegrowth.

InJuly,Baidusaiditwouldinvest20billionyuaninO2Oservicesoverthenextthreeyears.

"Asamappingserviceapplication,BaiduMaphasgreatadvantageswhenitcomestoprovidingO2Oservices.Itslocation-basedservicecanhelpusersseamlesslyfindthenearestrestaurantstodineoutatorthenearestshoppingmalltovisit,"saidZhang.