Innovation and BMW have been the best of friends for the longest time and they both have worked together with a long history. BMW broke new ground in 2004 by integrating an Apple iPod into their cars allowing drivers to be mobile with their playlists.
This in car innovation continued and in 2014 BMW moved their infotainment system into the next era with the BMW Connected Drive system. This was a in car revolution with point-of-interest voice search, enhanced navigation tools and seamless connectivity to your smartphone. BMW told its customers, stay connected, stay focused on the road and be safe while enjoying your entertainment.
Then came BMW ConnectedDrive. BMW ConnectedDrive is based around and powered by a fully integrated and fixed on-board SIM card.
ConnectedDrive does not just turn your BMW into another mobile device, it turns the car into a virtual flow of information out of and into the car via a permanently installed SIM card that connects to the 3G network.
ConnectedDrive is the pathway to a whole lot more than that. It is telecommunications, information technology and GPS data at your fingertips and here is what ConnectedDrive does for the BMW driver.
Driver Assistance: A range of applications. Park assist, head-up display, BMW night vision with dynamic light spot, anti-dazzle high beam assist and driving assistant or driving assistant plus are all part of the Driver Assistance package.
Teleservices: Teleservice connects the car itself to the owner’s nominated dealer and service centre. When a service is due, the on-board system sends an email to the dealer/service centre, which in turn contacts the owner. The dealer will already know at this point what the car needs. It might require an oil change, the oil level might be reading slightly low, the brake pads might be showing wear or there could be a warning light illuminated. Whatever the service requirement, the on board system will let the dealer know. This means the dealer can plan in advance, and order any parts beforehand. Ultimately, this will save you, the customer, time.
A Teleservice breakdown call transfers BMW diagnostic data and vehicle position to the roadside assistance agent in the event of a roadside breakdown or fault. In this instance, the service vehicle that is being sent to assist will know in advance what is wrong with the car. Teleservice can also alert the owner (via text or email) that the battery is running low because you’ve left the interior lights on for example.
There’s a manual SOS button, which makes an automatic emergency call to the BMW ConnectedDrive call centre. In the event of a serious accident, auto call works in concert with intelligent crash sensors. The sensors detect a severe accident and automatically call the BMW ConnectedDrive call centre.
When the agent receives the call, they will be able to see the position of the vehicle, number of occupants, risk of severe injuries, status and some general collision details. At that point a voice call is initiated, with the agent trying to make contact with the occupants of the car. The agent can then call emergency services on the occupant’s behalf while also remaining on the phone with them.
Connected Drive Services and Apps:
With this Apps based service, you can search via Google and have in vehicle access to apps on your smartphone, as well as specific in-vehicle apps.
Concierge services: Concierge services is in fact the driver’s personal assistant. To use the service while driving, all you need to do is just press the call button, it rings the call center (24 hours a day) a person will answer in your desired language and you can speak to the person while driving and request the location for a restaurant, hospital, ATM machine, hotel, etc. Once your request is confirmed, the call center will send to your navigation unit in your BMW the requested location and all you need to do is drive to your destination following the route guidance on your BMW navigation. Its that easy. Really it is! Visit a BMW showroom and take the Concierge services for test run and experience it.
