Starbucks announced Wednesday that it is updating its mobile app to let customers hail rides from Uber.
The move comes on the same day that the San Francisco-based ride-sharing service announced the debut of new tools designed to let developers make its services available on their apps, according to PC Magazine.
Starbucks joins almost a dozen companies that Uber says are adding an Uber button to their apps, which include United Airlines, Expensify, Hinge, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Momento, OpenTable, Tempo Smart Calendar, Time Out, TripAdvisor, and TripCase.
Uber is looking to use these app updates as a way to get more involved in people's smartphones. Uber's senior vice president of business Emil Michael said in an interview that the company's new development platform aims at expanding its reach, Bloomberg reported.
"We're the only company out there with global scale," Michael said in an interview. "You're going to see the dorm-room developers start to develop on this platform, too."
Google is among a handful of companies to integrate Uber, having made the service available in its Maps app in May, PC Magazine reported. The directions tab on the app shows options for walking and transits, along with how long the user has to wait for a car in certain cities.
The Starbucks integration is just one of Uber's recent business moves, which include using the Washington D.C. area to test its new Corner Store service, which lets people use the app to request over 100 common items. Using corner, consumers can call for allergy medicine, toothpaste, diapers and more.
The company also announced on Tuesday its hiring of David Plouffe, former advisor for President Obama, who will be in charge of Uber's global policy and political activities.
With the addition of Uber, United Airlines can send notifications to customers when they need leave for the airport and call for a ride, and guests at Hyatt Hotels can request a car to take them there, Bloomberg reported.
Matt Wyndowe, head of product partnerships at Uber, said the company is introducing the updates one region at a time so it can test the demand for its service.
