BMW connects present to future with new app

BMW Z4

German automaker BMW is furthering its commitment to a connected future.

With vehicles becoming versatile smart devices in addition to modes of transportation, BMW is launching BMW Connected in select European markets to exemplify these changes. The digital concept will improve the convenience of contemporary mobility challenges, integrating the brand more fully into the consumers’s lives.

“Over the coming years, digitalisation is set to have a substantial impact on how we use our cars: digital services will emerge that connect us fully with our personal world, no matter whether we’re out on the road or at home, said Dieter May, senior vice president digital services and business models at the BMW Group. “The car will be transformed into a smart device – intelligently connected, seamlessly integrated and perfectly tuned to the individual needs of each and every user. This is precisely what the first version of BMW Connected aspires to achieve.”

Connecting mobility
BMW Connected works with a platform called the Open Mobility Cloud on Microsoft Azure and syncs with users’ iPhones and/or Apple Watches. Though BMW has plans to expand on the service, it currently focuses on journey management.

Upon downloading the application and setting up a profile, it will immediately scan the users’ calendar for addresses and arrival times. With that information, the app will advise on ideal departure time, push “time to leave” notifications and traffic updates and update the route in accordance with real-time traffic updates.

BMW Connected

Information from other apps can also be input into BMW’s, which syncs up with the in-car navigation system. With this system, calendar appointments that include location will be imported automatically so destination information does not need to be entered into navigation devices.

For those driving hybrid and electric BMW models, remaining range and battery charges are also factored into journey planning. Similarly, “Last Mile Navigation” presents potential parking options near the destination.

BMW i8 electric

The app will also learn destinations and routines, including drives to and from work in the morning. BMW Connected will monitor and push traffic and other conditions that could delay arrival in these situations to help the consumer avoid being late for work or other regular appointments.

In the future, the functionality will integrate with similar and complementary services offered by BMW ConnectedDrive, MyBMW Remote and BMW Connected Classic, bringing the digital concept into a single platform. BMW also plans to develop smart home monitoring and control and other integrated services.

While the BMW Connected will launch in numerous European markets this August, September holds Amazon Echo integration for the U.S., which will enable voice-activated commands.

BMW Connected interior

More details of the next update of BMW Connected will be shared in the fall when the brand premieres the new BMW 5 Series vehicles.

Down the road
BMW Connected fulfills the brand’s promise for vehicles in the future to tune out everything but the pleasure of driving itself.

In June, BMW shared its vision of the brand’s future and the driving pleasure of its vehicles.

As part of its celebration of its centennial, BMW revealed its aspirations for the capabilities of automobiles in its future. The Vision Next 100 stays focused on the “sheer driving pleasure” that helps define the brand while seamlessly incorporating technology to enhance the experience (see story).

Other automakers are also turning the vehicle into multi-purpose hubs through connectivity apps.

U.S. electric automaker Tesla is going the extra mile in the name of convenience for its consumers.

Evolved Vehicle Environments Inc. (EVE) has used the latest technology to launch EVE Connect for Tesla, connecting the car with the home for the safety and convenience of the driver. The technology gives Tesla a unique advantage that will appeal to everyone from younger tech-savvy consumers to parents (see story).

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