YESPARK : using automated voice communication to open parking fences

Yespark is a Parisian company specialised in connected parking. Founded in 2014 by 2 students from Polytechnique and Centrale Paris, the company has grown exponentially to have more than 40.000 available parking spots in France today. Their mission? revolutionise car park rental. Discover how do automated voice communication get involved in such a project with Vincent Lefeuvre, COO of Yespark.

The founders of Yespark started with a simple analysis: there are a lot of vacant parking spots underground while a lot of car drivers are looking for a spot to leave their car above ground. “Getting car drivers in touch with the owners of these vacant parking spots would allow the city to work better. Also, it will help public health and town planning”, explains Vincent Lefeuvre, Chief Operations Officer at Yespark.

But how to create easy contact between the car drivers and available parking spots? Answer seemed logical: an application. Within 2 minutes, the customer can download the Yespark application and see all available parking spaces around him on a map and a price tag. Customer can easily select his parking, choose a spot and take a monthly subscription through the app. “To be sure that the parking and the spot are fine for the customer, we offer him two free days to try the parking. There is no daily parking or yearly contract”, explains the COO of the company.

Challenge: Communicating with receptors through the mobile network

As the renter’s mobile phone becomes his primary access tool to the garage, a solution was needed for communicating with receptors through the mobile network. The aim is that when a user clicks on a button, he can open the door and access his parking spot instantly. “This is a big advantage for our subscribers,” says the Yespark’s COO, “There are no papers to sign, no remote control or keys to retrieve. Everything goes through the mobile phone”

Solution: using RinRing’s Voice API to make automated calls

To implement a solution for communicating with receptors through the mobile network, Yespark had to find the ideal integration. “When we were looking for a partner, we found RingRing on the internet. I called the company and explained our atypical project. I quickly received access to a trial account and a phone number that I could use to test the RingRing network.”

How does the automated voice API work?

All garage doors are equipped with a connected object. These are built to receive and understand SMS and automated phone calls through an integrated SIM card. The communication is established between the application and Yespark’s server when the customer is asking for the door opening.

After the automated voice call, an automatic verification is made about the customer asking for the door opening. If everything is alright, Yespark asks their connected object to open the door, using the mobile network. The entire cycle is completed in less than 5 seconds. “RingRing is a key link in our process. It allows us to control everything from a distance.” explains the company’s COO.

Advantages of automated voice communication to solve a technological challenge

Choosing automated voice calls to allow customers to enter their parking is a strategic choice. There are some advantages to do so. “We chose to use automated calls for two reasons”, explains Vincent.

“First of all, it allows us to dematerialise. We wanted our subscribers to be able to do everything through their smartphone only. Secondly, using automated calls allows us to trace and control what happens. Yespark keeps control over who can open a garage door or not and we can trace all the activity. This is an important additional security measure and is reassuring for our parking lot partners.”

Today, Yespark manages around 40.000 spots with several parking lots. “Up to 99% of the calls we make, through RingRing’s API are successful. Almost all of the un-succeeding calls are due to the bad reception of our connected objects. As those are placed on the doors of underground parking lots, they do not always have a signal. We are very satisfied with our results”, says the COO. “I would recommend RingRing to any start-up that would need to place automated calls in a classical or atypical way, as we do.”

Yespark innovates with electric car parks and charging stations

If 110,000 electric cars were sold in France in 2020, these are as many cars that will need a recharging solution. Yespark ReCharge offers a 2-in-1 solution: a private parking space with an electric charging point. The subscription includes the use of the charging point and the electricity consumed to recharge the car. Cheaper than public charging stations, Yespark ReCharge allows to recharge electric cars daily at a lower cost. RingRing is happy to support its customers with efficient solutions and to follow their evolution.