ParkCloud is flying into the future

Online reservation specialist ParkCloud has marked 10 years of operation by increasing its portfolio with another 100 car parks across 12 countries

We now live in a world where it has become commonplace to book airline tickets, holidays, rail journeys and rental cars online. And when heading to the airport, a hotel, a concert or the train station, drivers are increasingly keen on reserving a parking space, meaning they don’t have the hassle of locating a car park at the destination and they will know in advance what their vehicle’s stay will cost. When booking a parking space, the motorist may opt to book via a destination’s website, or via an airline, or use a specialist parking website. In many cases, these different routes to making a parking reservation are actually being managed by a common platform such as ParkCloud.

Over the past 10 years ParkCloud has established itself as a key provider of online parking reservation services, primarily to the airport sector, as well as the rail, port and city centre markets.

Since ParkCloud was founded in 2008, the Manchester-based firm has grown into a business that employs over 20 members of staff. ParkCloud now works across over 40 countries in Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Australasia. The global reach of the company’s activities were recognised in 2014 when it was awarded the Queen’s Award for International Trade.

The company’s client base includes over 2,000 parking operators, ranging from international airports and parking management groups to city councils, rail companies, port authorities and property owners.

In parallel to its partnerships with airports, the online aggregator has forged relationships with airlines, including long-running relationships with carriers such as Ryan Air, easyJet and Wizz Air.

ParkCloud marked its first 10 years of operation by sealing a contract to provide online parking reservation services to International Airlines Group (IAG). This means that passengers on carriers such as British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Lufthansa will be offered the opportunity to take advantage of discounted and priority parking offers at airports around the globe.

Its bookable parking network is also available to travel industry partners, such as travel agents and car rental companies. ParkCloud’s services are now used by over 3 million users. These customers are also increasingly able to book more than parking via ParkCloud, as it is now offering ancillary airport services such as fast-track check-in, access to VIP lounges and hotel bookings.

ParkCloud’s managing director and founder Mark Pegler says: “As we work together with our partners to further understand what our customers require from the booking journey, offering ancillary services that complement their travel plans has proved a successful strategy.”

The ParkCloud portals

The ParkCloud name signals both the company’s role as an airport service and also carries the added sense of online being in ‘the cloud’. “As the company’s name would suggest, cloud computing is a key consideration for us,” says Pegler. “ParkCloud has its own proprietary technology and differentiates itself from competitors by focussing on technology and working with existing professional parking operators to attract new business and ensure the availability of spaces for drivers.“

ParkCloud engaged with clients and customers via two online platforms channels – ParkVia.com and Parkcloud.com. “Historically, ParkCloud’s online presence focussed on its consumer brand ParkVia, whilst the ParkCloud platform was positioned towards trade audiences,” says Pegler. “ParkCloud now prioritises software development at www.parkcloud.com, however ParkVia remains a well-recognised brand for consumers, particularly across Western Europe, attracting more than 10 million visits a year.”

The company launched an app in 2017, but Pegler says that its energies will be focussed on being a web service. “Our focus has always been on the web,” he says. “The app we launched last year was effectively a wrapper around our new website at the time, and was offered to allow users to discover our service more easily. Generally, we find that apps lend themselves more to ‘immediate services’, whereas ParkCloud’s offering is all about the pre-planning elements of travel. 

“Additionally, when you consider the multitude of devices, of which there are so many form factors, ParkCloud believed its efforts were better aimed at developing ever more adaptive websites. Right now we are focussed on developing a progressive web app (PWA), a kind of wrapper around our website which allows near-native functionality and offline capability. This better suits our business model.”

10th birthday presents

The past year has seen ParkCloud add 100 car parks across 12 countries to its parking portfolio. In the UK it has added new car parks in Edinburgh and Exeter. These join locations serving London Heathrow, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester airports.

Over the past year ParkCloud has enhanced its presence in the key market of Germany, including new locations Hanover and Bremen, as well as a deal with APCOA Parking that sees it promote on-airport parking to passengers flying from Berlin Schönefeld.

It has also expanded its presence in France during 2018. ParkCloud has renewed its contract with French international airport Paris-Beauvais Airport, one of the three international airports serving the French capital.

In Spain, ParkCloud has added airport sites in Barcelona, Alicante and Ibiza. It has also expanded its presence in Italy, including Venice Marco Polo Airport as well renewing its relationship with Italy’s primary rail operator Trenitalia.

Mark Pegler says: “Southern Europe has always been a strong market for us, with demand for reserved parking in countries such as Italy and Spain increasing year-on-year.”

Away from its key market successes, ParkCloud has also strengthened its presence across Austria, Finland, Poland, Turkey and South Africa, as well as adding the official airport car parks at Greece’s Thessaloniki Airport and Kavala Airport. 

ParkCloud is widely active in the USA, where it offers airport parking in almost 50 cities. North America has also provided a new market this year when Canada became the 42nd country where ParkCloud services are available to online customers. It is now offering online parking reservation services to customers travelling from Toronto Pearson International Airport. Pegler says: “The scope to develop our network across Canada is really considerable and it’s an exciting time to be breaking into this market.”

Expanding the service

ParkCloud’s ancillary service offering continues to grow. Customers reserving their parking through ParkCloud can now also book their fast track and lounge passes at an additional number of airport locations, including Nice, Frankfurt and Belfast International. ParkCloud has also agreed a new technology partnership with travel distribution platform Amadeus, operator of the CheckMyTrip app. 

“As a leader in our respective industries, it’s vital that we’re continuously driving innovation through new technologies and ultimately providing our customers with more freedom to choose the travel options that are right for them,” says Pegler. “As the travel market continues to flourish, with more and more people embracing digital booking channels, we’re well positioned to continue our rate of growth and anticipate the addition of several new markets.”

The future of driving (and parking)

ParkCloud is also tracking the evolution of connected and driverless car services, which will increasingly rely on booked parking. “Whichever sector of the industry you work in and whatever your specialism, the connected and driverless car revolution is going to affect us all to some extent, therefore monitoring its progress is vital,” says Pegler. “As a growing digital brand in the parking sector, we’re consistently looking to evolve the travel experience and provide that seamless booking journey for customers. We agree that developments within vehicle technology will be an opportunity to enhance this experience.”The future of driving (and parking)

ParkCloud is also tracking the evolution of connected and driverless car services, which will increasingly rely on booked parking. “Whichever sector of the industry you work in and whatever your specialism, the connected and driverless car revolution is going to affect us all to some extent, therefore monitoring its progress is vital,” says Pegler. “As a growing digital brand in the parking sector, we’re consistently looking to evolve the travel experience and provide that seamless booking journey for customers. We agree that developments within vehicle technology will be an opportunity to enhance this experience.”