General Motors Shows Off New OnStar Features :Comments

[William Maley]

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The past few years have seen Consumer Electronics Show (CES) become a stage for automakers and suppliers to show off new technologies and even vehicles. Alongside the Chevrolet Volt sneak peek, GM also announced three new technologies for their vehicles.

First up is Chevrolet announcing a new piece of tech that will be able to predict and notify drivers when certain components need some attention. This is possible by the OnStar 4G LTE system that newer Chevrolet vehicles are being shipped with. Sensors in the vehicle will send data to GM where servers will be able to predict when a part will fail and notify the owner via email, text message, in-vehicle alerts or through the OnStar RemoteLink smartphone app.

“This is a new chapter in our pursuit to provide customers with convenience and the best overall service in the industry. Using our innovative OnStar 4G LTE connectivity platform, we can actively monitor vehicle component health and notify our customers if covered vehicle components need attention. Nobody else in the industry is offering this,” said Alicia Boler-Davis, General Motors senior vice president of Global Connected Customer Experience.

The system will be available in Chevrolet vehicles in the 2016 model year. For the time being, the system will only be able to battery, starter motor and fuel pump; though the company is planning to add more parts in the future.

Along with this change, GM also announced that its OnStar RemoteLink app will get the ability to send a monthly report to owners, outlining key details such as the vehicle’s tire pressure, oil life, and other key maintenance information.

Next, OnStar announced AtYourService. This feature allows drivers to find local deals and make connections with merchants from their car.

Launching this year in the U.S. and Canada, AtYourService has teamed up with the likes Dunkin’ Donuts, Priceline.com, RetailMeNot.com, and Entertainment Book to provide deals and information. If a driver using OnStar asks for directions to a point of interest and it has applicable deal or connection to one of its partners, an OnStar advisor can send the info right to the vehicle.

“On the heels of our 4G LTE connectivity launch last year, OnStar will continually roll out powerful, simple ways to bring daily-relevant connected vehicle features like AtYourService to complement our foundation of safety and security technology. We will continue to innovate in ways that make our customers’ time on the road more efficient and more convenient,” said Mark Lloyd, consumer online officer for OnStar.

The last announcement is for a new service that will track your driving driving habits during a 90 day span. After 90 days, OnStar will send feedback about how you drive and how you can become a safer driver. If you happen to have Progressive as your insurance provider, you can send that information to lower your insurance rate. Now the important item about this system is that you have the choice to opt in.

"The driver assessment is meant to help people better understand how they drive and give them feedback on how to be better, smarter drivers. This is the first time we can use actual driving behavior to deliver valuable important feedback to customers who want this information. This new service truly shows the power of the connected car. The beauty of this program is that control is in the hands of the customer. If they wish to participate, we’ll inform them of their driving behavior and then they’re able to choose if they want to share their information with Progressive,” said Greg Ross, director of Business Development and Alliances, Global Connected Consumer Experience, General Motors.

Source: General Motors

Press Releases on Page 2

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Chevrolet Opens New Chapter for Driver Assurance

• Customers will soon drive vehicles that can predict future service needs
  

DETROIT – Chevrolet is using advanced connected vehicle technology to give customers an unprecedented level of assurance in their vehicles later this year. This industry-leading prognostic technology can predict and notify drivers when certain components need attention – in many cases before vehicle performance is impacted.

The predictive technology is initially focused on the battery, starter motor and fuel pump, all critical to starting and keeping a vehicle running. Additional vehicle parts and components are expected to be added in future model years.

“This is a new chapter in our pursuit to provide customers with convenience and the best overall service in the industry,” said Alicia Boler-Davis, General Motors senior vice president, Global Connected Customer Experience. “Using our innovative OnStar 4G LTE connectivity platform, we can actively monitor vehicle component health and notify our customers if covered vehicle components need attention. Nobody else in the industry is offering this.”

Building on the 15-year history of connected vehicle technology through OnStar, the prognostic service relies on OnStar 4G LTE to provide data streams from sensors within the vehicle. When a customer has enrolled their properly equipped vehicle in this service, the data is sent to OnStar’s secure servers and proprietary algorithms are applied to assess whether certain conditions could impact vehicle performance. When indicated, notifications are sent to the customer via email, text message, in-vehicle alerts or through the OnStar RemoteLink smartphone app.

This service is expected to be available on select 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, Tahoe, Suburban, Corvette, Silverado and Silverado HD models equipped with certain powertrains, followed by more Chevrolet vehicles throughout the 2016 model year.

Prognostic capability is the latest advancement in a suite of services that will keep Chevrolet customers informed from the first day of ownership through many years into the future.

Another Advancement in Vehicle Diagnostics

Chevrolet customers with an active OnStar connection today can monitor tire pressure, oil life and other key data points via the OnStar RemoteLink smartphone app or through a monthly diagnostic email sent from the vehicle.

In 2016, Chevrolet is adding a new capability, which allows customers to check these key data points continuously, without having to wait for their monthly email. Keeping a vehicle’s tires filled to the recommended pressure and keeping vital systems well-maintained can lower fuel costs and extend a vehicle’s life.

Together, Chevrolet’s advanced diagnostic and prognostic capabilities will keep owners more informed and empowered to make every trip confidently through years of ownership.

OnStar AtYourService Brings Commerce to Connected Cars

• Offers hotel booking and delivers incentives from restaurants and retailers
  

DETROIT – At the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, OnStar will preview AtYourService, a commerce and engagement offering that connects drivers with retailers and merchants on their drive, providing information, convenience and money-saving values tied to their specific destinations. In addition, OnStar advisors can now help locate hotels and book reservations.

AtYourService will roll out in the U.S. and Canada, where OnStar annually receives more than 35 million requests for directions and supports more than 53 million mobile app interactions. Building on these direct connections and adding more daily relevance for subscribers, OnStar has signed initial relationships with partners like Dunkin’ Donuts and Priceline.com.

Digital coupon providers RetailMeNot and Entertainment Book will supply retail and shopping coupons. Parkopedia will serve data for parking nationwide, and Audiobooks.com will supply e-book content to drivers on the road. When a driver requests directions to a point of interest that has an applicable deal or connection to one of its partners, the OnStar advisor can send the special offer from that merchant.

“On the heels of our 4G LTE connectivity launch last year, OnStar will continually roll out powerful, simple ways to bring daily-relevant connected vehicle features like AtYourService to complement our foundation of safety and security technology,” said Mark Lloyd, consumer online officer for OnStar. “We will continue to innovate in ways that make our customers’ time on the road more efficient and more convenient.”

Said Scott Hudler, vice president, Global Consumer Engagement for Dunkin’ Donuts: “We can’t think of a more exciting and targeted way to connect with our guests than when they are in their vehicles looking for a Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant. We’ll bring value to GM drivers while driving those consumers to our stores with instant incentives.”

Also beginning in early 2015, active subscribers with the full-service plan will be able to book a hotel through an OnStar advisor. Partnering with Priceline.com, OnStar advisors can provide information on availability, cost, amenities, and ratings, then book a hotel reservation and send directions to the vehicle.

Subscribers can give advisors the general location where they would like to stay and advisors can select from Priceline’s participating hotels in that area. After booking a hotel, customers receive an email confirmation of their reservation. The service provides a simple way to find on-the-go accommodations while drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. In a pilot program, nine out of 10 subscribers said they would book their last-minute hotel needs through OnStar again.

“We were seeing a growing segment of our business, with Priceline users making same-day reservations for hotels while driving in their cars,” said Randy Schartner, president of The Priceline Partner Network. “Making Priceline hotels available to drivers through OnStar in a safe and secure way is great way for Priceline consumers and GM drivers to become one and the same.”

This new service will continue to grow over time with new capabilities and more partnerships.

“By delivering relevant connections, interactions, offers and services based on our subscribers’ needs, we are laying the foundation for a truly cohesive experience,” said OnStar’s Lloyd. ”Our hope is that OnStar AtYourService will help transform the way businesses and consumers interact in connected vehicles.”

OnStar to Offer Driving Feedback; Customers can Seek Insurance Discounts

• Progressive® Insurance to offer discounts for consenting driver data use
  

DETROIT – Beginning this summer, OnStar will offer customers the opportunity to sign up for a new service that can tell them how well they drive and provide some customers an opportunity to seek discounts from Progressive Insurance.

The new connected vehicle service will allow OnStar customers a chance to enroll in a program that provides a detailed driving assessment at the end of a 90-day evaluation period. The assessment, provided only to OnStar customers who sign up for this service, will reveal how the customer performed in important driving metrics, comparing that customer against an aggregate of other anonymous enrolled customers. Driving tips will be provided by OnStar based on a customer’s individual assessment characteristics.

After the assessment, some customers can choose to share their driving data and evaluation information with Progressive through its Snapshot® program, potentially leading to discounted insurance offers. This information sharing will be entirely voluntary following advanced consent from customers.

“The driver assessment is meant to help people better understand how they drive and give them feedback on how to be better, smarter drivers,” said Greg Ross, director, Business Development and Alliances, Global Connected Consumer Experience, General Motors. “This is the first time we can use actual driving behavior to deliver valuable important feedback to customers who want this information. This new service truly shows the power of the connected car.

“The beauty of this program is that control is in the hands of the customer,” said Ross. “If they wish to participate, we’ll inform them of their driving behavior and then they’re able to choose if they want to share their information with Progressive.”

Progressive® Insurance is the first insurance company that will use OnStar data to evaluate actual driving behavior, subject to explicit customer consent, to offer driving-based insurance discounts.

“We are looking beyond traditional expectations of car makers and insurance providers, toward helping people be smarter drivers,” said Dave Pratt, general manager of usage-based insurance at Progressive. “Providing drivers with feedback benefits consumers by making them more aware of their driving behavior, saving them money and keeping the roads safer. This program makes it easier than ever for consumers to take advantage of the latest in-car technology and the leading usage-based insurance program.”

The smart driver assessment program is expected to be available for all 2016 GM models, most 2015 models, and select 2013 and 2014 models, starting this summer. The program is only expected to be available for U.S. drivers at this time.

OnStar customers currently are able to receive low mileage discount offers through other insurance companies. These low mileage programs, however, do not require the collection or use of driver assessment data.

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[G. David Felt]

Sounds like big brother watching you more and more and you get penalized if you do not drive the way they want you too.