Urban Company strengthens safety protocol using Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services

Solution aims to ensure customer safety with facial recognition APIs and data security

PRESS RELEASE

National, 2 March 2019: Urban Company (formerly UrbanClap), India’s leading home services marketplace, announced that it will strengthen the safety protocol on its platform using Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services.

With technology playing an increasingly critical role in every aspect of business, companies recognize the need to accelerate the development of digital solutions keeping in mind the safety aspect to ensure they remain on the competitive front. Using cutting edge technology, this solution aims to assist the identity verification of professionals. The key parameters focused on are zero impersonation, professional experience and data security. Azure Cognitive Services has enabled Urban Company to tap into high-quality domain-specific AI models and API service that has been developed with the aim of bringing AI within the reach of every developer.

“At Urban Company, safety is at the centerstage for us. And as we aim to deliver more than 10 million jobs per month by 2022 in 30+ cities across multiple countries it is important to invest in the right technology that can match our growth”, said Abhiraj Bhal, Co-founder, Urban Company. “This solution using Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services will benefit consumers the most. It will help us set an automated facial recognition pattern and set a new benchmark for safety standards”.

Sangeeta Bavi, Director – Startups, Microsoft India, said: “Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services enables our partners to accelerate their growth and boost innovation at scale. Urban Company’s solution promises to enable not just a secure and smooth customer experience, but also furthers the foundation of trust for enterprises.”

The solution comes into play when a professional reaches the customer’s house and clicks a selfie before starting the job. This selfie check is done to ensure that the professional present at the customer’s house is the same as the one to whom the job had been assigned to on the app. Once the software confirms the identity, the professional can start work, if not then the Trust & Safety team will initiate necessary action. This solution aims to assist in the identity verification of professionals, with zero impersonation being a key parameter. Further, in this self-learning solution, images are added to a professional’s profile over time so that the profile remains up to date, aspects such as weight gain, weight loss, change in facial hair (beard or clean-shaven), hair color, among others are taken into account.

Urban Company has in place a 10-pronged safety mechanism to ensure maximum customer safety including OTP and selfie checks with strong technological backing. The company also adheres to a strict onboarding process, which includes a thorough background verification process of professionals and a rigorous training module following industry standards. A comprehensive assessment ensures a safe and world-class service experience for customers.

About Urban Company:

Founded in Nov 2014, Urban Company (formerly UrbanClap) is India and the UAE’s largest home services company. The company offers services such as beauty and spa at home, cleaning, plumbing, carpentry, appliance repair, painting, etc. through its mobile app and website. It operates in 18 cities in India (including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Indore Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Surat Vadodara and Visakhapatnam) and 4 international markets (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sydney and Singapore). It has a partner network of over 25,000 hand-picked service professionals, who are provided financing, training, and product or consumables support. This full-stack approach helps the company live up to its promise of delivering high-quality, delightful services at home.