AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With on-demand car sharing and ride hailing services on the rise, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) is introducing its fleet services business model to shared mobility providers to improve urban fleet operations.

Goodyear announced it is launching an advanced tire maintenance pilot program with STRATIM, a San Francisco-based startup whose technology platform tracks, monitors and oversees fleet maintenance for tens of thousands of vehicles operated by more than 50 mobility services in more than 25 markets across North America.

"As shared mobility continues to grow in popularity, we are seeing applications where miles driven per vehicle increase from 15,000 per year to as much 5,000 per month," said Chris Helsel, Goodyear's chief technology officer. "Those increased miles mean increased demand for tire maintenance and repair, especially when you consider customer expectations for comfort and safety from a mobility service."

The new program will leverage Goodyear's proprietary, artificial intelligence technology to help STRATIM's clients predict when their tires need service or replacement to improve overall tire management and maximize uptime across the fleet.

"Vehicle maintenance and uptime are critical metrics for all mobility services," said Sean Behr, CEO, STRATIM. "Companies that can efficiently take care of their cars, minimize costs and be hyper-efficient will be the companies that win in the long run. Goodyear's tire maintenance solutions are game changers for the industry."

Goodyear sees mobile fleet solutions for passenger vehicles as an emerging market, allowing it to continue serving its traditional customers through the nation's largest network of tire and service locations while also looking to the fast pace of what's next in mobility.

"Our predictive analytics and fleet solutions are great innovations for new mobility providers," said Helsel. "As these services develop, and as shared mobility and autonomous vehicles get more trial and adoption, Goodyear will continue to innovate with the industry."

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures its products in 48 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

About STRATIM

STRATIM is the intelligent mobility and fleet infrastructure company that provides a unified platform to power the future of transportation. STRATIM Platform makes the management and maintenance of fleets simple, intuitive, and frictionless. Trusted by 50+ automobile companies including Ford and GM, STRATIM modernizes operations, unifies systems, optimizes logistics to enable transportation companies to deliver better, more modern mobility experiences. Founded in 2016, STRATIM is headquartered in San Francisco and is led by a team of technology innovators from companies like Google, eBay, Trulia, Shopping.com and more. Investors include Bessemer Ventures, BMW iVentures, Norwest Venture Partners and Trinity Ventures. To learn more, please visit www.stratim.com.

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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company