With the invention of bitcoin came a new, secure method of value transfer, via its underlying technology blockchain. Since bitcoin’s inception ten years ago, a plethora of mainstream entities have investigated various ways to channel blockchain’s potential. Automation giant Siemens is evaluating the technology for various enterprise use cases, including improving the carsharing market.
Siemens is following the trend of mainstream giants looking to incorporate blockchain. “We are in the space where we want to come up with industrial extensions of blockchain systems, […] blockchain systems for enterprises,” Siemens Corporate Technology head of cybersecurity and blockchain Andreas Kind said to me in an interview. Kind mentioned use cases pertaining to areas such as supply chain, mobility, manufacturing, etc.
When entities are interested in making the move toward blockchain, they generally undergo periods of testing and discovery before choosing the most effective and applicable use cases, Kind explained. “Siemens is exactly in this kind of phase,” he added. The company just completed a period of exploration, Kind said, adding, “Now we’re at the point where we’re really zoomed into a set of use cases that are related to Siemens’ business.” Siemens is looking toward permissioned blockchain usage in particular, Kind noted.
Blockchain In The Mobility Arena
The cybersecurity and blockchain head mentioned the area of mobility as one of Siemens’ particular blockchain application focuses. Siemens has a separate branch devoted to the mobility sector. Siemens Mobility, a daughter company of the German-based Siemens AG, works to provide “transport solutions,” relating to the movement of “people and goods” to various locations globally, according to its website.
Carsharing As An Option
Rather than dealing with some of the responsibilities associated with owning a car, such as parking, car payments and insurance, folks who live or work in larger urban areas may often rely on carsharing, Kind explained. Carsharing allows members of the service to use or rent a car for any period of time, even for as short as one hour, according to details on the Enterprise CarShare website. Zipcar is another example of a carsharing operation.