BMW boosts connected driving experience through infotainment additions

BMW Z4

German automaker BMW is expanding its ConnectedDrive Online Entertainment with the introduction of audio and music streaming service Deezer.

Deezer joins Napster, giving consumers access to an on-demand library of 35 million tracks and 100 million playlists, allowing consumers to enjoy music in their vehicles without needing an accompanying mobile device. Boosting its ConnectedDrive service, BMW is also rolling out solutions to remotely control everything from parking to the car owner’s house.

Connected cars
BMW’s entertainment streaming is controlled through an in-vehicle SIM card, which prevents the passengers from having to use data. When outside of cell service, the car will still be able to play previously downloaded music stored to the on-board hard drive.

Up to three users can access the Online Entertainment service from a mobile phone or tablet, allowing them to organize playlists for their drives from outside the car.

BMW’s Connected Drive

ConnectedDrive has also become more personalized, allowing consumers to keep up with news and weather or perform online searches through BMW Online. A new tech-to-speech function will read stories or email to the driver, keeping them in the loop while driving.

With BMW Labs, consumers will be able to control functions in their house from their cars. For the first time, owners will get to be part of the testing of new technology, getting new tech ahead of its official launch while allowing BMW to glean useful data about how its innovations are used in the real world.

If This Then That is a Web-based tool that allows the user to automate Internet-connected products such as Twitter, Facebook, Google Drive and email, as well as connected appliances such as Samsung SmartThings and Nest. They can also automate actions related to the car, such as turning on the outside lights when the car approaches, and consumers can open the garage door or operate the house’s heat and air from inside the car.

BMW has been rolling out new ways for owners to control their cars’ functions remotely, leveraging consumers’ increasing reliance on mobile devices.

In 2014, the automaker announced that it was extending its BMW i Remote Application to the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Galaxy Gear synchronizes with an owner’s smartphone to display essential functions in a more accessible manner. The Remote App provides drivers with accurate assessments of their BMW i3’s status and allows for communication between the two (see story).

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