OnStar Responds on Retail Plans

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Hey, all you non-believers. We asked OnStar president Chris Preuss point blank whether OnStar is moving into retail. His response: “It’s definitely an area that makes sense for OnStar. It’s an area we are looking at. Stay tuned.”

Given a rash of OnStar meetings with leading car electronics retailers last month, we’re taking “Stay tuned,” as way more than a definite maybe. And so the speculation continues on what retail products OnStar has in store for the aftermarket.

OnStar held press events in 4 cities yesterday to tout a “relaunch” of its service that has 6 million subscribers.

It confirmed earlier reports that it is testing verbal Facebook updates as you drive and verbal texting, with no hint on when these may become available. Preuss also said OnStar is looking at offering some free services and some of its smartphone app features might be offered at no charge. [Think about that one for a minute]. Currently OnStar’s base service fee is $200 after the first free year.

It launched its 9th generation platform for the car which now permits sending navigation directions from Google Maps or Mapquest to the car.

OnStar is also working on car to car communication where the 6 million subscribers could communicate with each other. And it said apps like Pandora and Twitter over the system are a possibility.

But before you conclude this is mainly vaporware, the company got very real and announced a new service for people in life-threatening situations. OnStar is specially training a group of its phone operators (advisors) to help victims in those minutes before first responders arrive. “We were moved to do this,” said Preuss after hearing the horror stories of advisors who were helpless to assist choking victims or others who lost their lives before an ambulance arrived. The special group of advisors will be able to question victims and give information in emergencies. The service will be offered free of charge and is called First Assist.

While Ford has become the leader in AV and smartphone technology in the car, GM’s OnStar remains the leader in embedded emergency/concierge service. But Preuss admitted that the GM bankruptcy, “in the last 12 to 18 months definitely slowed us down.” Now, however, he says “we were given a clear directive to develop OnStar as one of the chief pillars defining General Motors.”

On Monday, September 20, Onstar will launch a new “Live On” (note the ”On” in OnStar) campaign touting its service including its smartphone app control over car features such as remote start and door lock/unlock (from any distance). Smartphone control is being rolled out to new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac cars and the feature is now called MyLink.

The division of General Motors also opened up some network APIs to University students today to encourage new app development for OnStar (as Ford did last year).

Source: OnStar

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