Uber is well-known for its mobile app that allows mobile users and direct Uber customers to conveniently hire taxis, other rental vehicles and private cars. The company has an international network of transportation services. The app users may simply input their current locations and directly contact the nearest taxi or car rental company.

According to recent reports, Uber has officially announced the launch of two new ridesharing mobile applications. The company has been synonymous with taxi on-demand services but it now plans to expand beyond the taxi for hire app. The new apps will be available in different parts of the continental United States.

The ridesharing app will be accessible to those who are in the Seattle and Chicago metro areas. The first app is dubbed as UberHOP. The system is very similar to the typical bus transportation app that shows the schedules and routes of buses within the metro areas.

This app became available on December 10 and it matches groups of passengers to drivers who are heading in the same direction. Unlike the door-to-door services, the new system requires passengers and vehicles to be at predetermined locations and at predetermined time. The drop-off points or destinations are also fixed. The riders may need to walk or ride other public transportations to go to their final destinations.

Uber's another app is the UberCOMMUTE, which is still in experimental stage and limited within the Chicago area. This system allows private drivers who are heading to the city center to share the trip with passengers and be paid for the lift. It is actually an extension of the existing UberPOOL program of the company.