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Starting Thursday, April 8th, BMW will released their Roadside Assistance application to almost 20 Android phones, the iPhone and to many Blackberry devices as well. This may not be as interesting as the Touchstone being hacked into a BMW, but it’s much, much, more useful.
When a user registers, all information, such as VIN, GPS, and requested service will be sent to a roadside call center electronically, which can increase dispatch time by almost 60%! This will better the over all customer experience, and also just make it easier for the person in need of assistance.
Some key features of the Roadside Assistance application will include:
- Roadside Services – Get connected with Roadside Assistance by selecting the service you require including: Towing, Battery, Tire, Fuel, Lock Out , and more
- Dealer Locator – Search and find Centers near you. Pin point dealers closest to your location, find hours of operation, and obtain dealer contact information
- Service Details – The minute help is on the way a reference number, service dispatch information, & Estimated Time of Arrival is transmitted directly to your phone
- VIN Registration –Confirm your BMW’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and eligibility for Roadside Assistance thus expediting the service dispatch
A list of compatible devices is below
Some new features to expect are a Dealer Locator, BMW Assist speed dial for remote unlock, or stolen vehicle recovery, as well as the option to register multiple VINs. Applications like this will make it so much easier for drivers to get the help they need, faster, and more efficiently. Now if I only had a BMW, or a license for that matter.
It’s nice to see BMW getting into the mobile game. With services like Ford Sync in the wild – despite it has different use cases – the mobile phone is becoming a part of your everyday life, in ways that people couldn’t dream of years ago. You can now link your mobile phone to your car, and hell, some cars already have a mobile OS already built into them. As time goes on, the link between smartphones and automobiles will only become more seamless.
[Via: e90post]
About The Author
Blake Stimac
Blake was born in Beaumont, Texas, about 100 miles away from Houston. Even as a youngster, technology came to him very naturally, tinkering with anything he could. His passion of technology grew with mobile phones when he dreamed that the capabilities of phones would eventually make one's life much easier. Since then it's been his mission to advocate the push of mobile technology to anyone who will listen.
