U.S.-based autonomous vehicle technology company May Mobility has announced a strategic partnership with Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation to expand the deployment of driverless vehicles globally. The agreement, which includes integration with customer support provider BELLSYSTEM24, is expected to significantly enhance operational efficiency and support large-scale autonomous services.
Under the collaboration, May Mobility’s Tele-assist and Rider Support platforms will be integrated with BELLSYSTEM24’s business process infrastructure to manage vehicle operations and passenger services. This is the first major alliance between an AV company and a global leader in customer experience outsourcing, positioning May Mobility to scale operations with an emphasis on safety and cost-effectiveness.
May Mobility’s platform operates with its proprietary Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology, enabling vehicles to make context-aware decisions with minimal human input. The company’s Tele-assist approach allows remote support personnel to guide multiple vehicles simultaneously, rather than assuming direct control, improving scalability.
“This partnership is a major step toward achieving highly efficient and safety-first driverless operations on a global scale,” said May Mobility CEO Edwin Olson. “We created a system that avoids simply shifting the driver role to a remote location, and with ITOCHU’s backing, we can take that approach to the next level.”
BELLSYSTEM24, which brings over four decades of experience in customer support, will integrate its AI-enabled operations platform with May Mobility’s systems. This collaboration is expected to support deployments involving thousands of vehicles and millions of riders, particularly in the U.S. and Japan.
May Mobility is also working with major ride-hailing platforms. The ITOCHU alliance is set to bolster its partnerships with Lyft—beginning with services in Atlanta—and Uber, with initial launches planned in Arlington, Texas. The company’s Autonomy-as-a-Service model continues to gain traction as it expands its footprint in urban mobility markets worldwide.