BMW is looking to ensure its connected car alert systems are suited to lease operations as well as retail customers, with the firm piloting a process where leasing companies, rather than drivers, receive information such as service alerts.
The move is designed to ensure that a lease company’s preferred suppliers are used, and is similar to Vauxhall’s recent enhancement of its OnStar system that also ensures that lease cars are flagged and calls are directed to the lease provider rather than into Vauxhall’s own recovery and repair procedures.
The BMW upgrade will initially only be for service work, but the longer-term plan is to also factor in emergency assistance, so in the case of a puncture, for example, BMW’s helpline would know the car is leased and notify the lease firm to ensure the correct tyre partner is used.
The improvements come in the wake of BMW launching its new Connected app, which product manager Andy Furse told BusinessCar will allow a “more seamless integration of a driver’s digital life with their car”.
Compatible with BMW’s Connected Drive system, standard on all BMW vehicles from January 2016 and optional prior to that, the company said there are nearly 400,000 vehicles on UK roads able to use the new free app.
Calendar appointments are automatically loaded into the app and therefore into the car’s navigation system, and the app will alert users to any traffic delays that will prevent them arriving on time before they have even entered the car, giving an optimal departure time.
The Personal Learn Destinations programme automatically stores regular trips, such as commuting or the school run, to the extent of knowing which journeys regularly take place on which days, notifying the user of delays and the time they need to leave to avoid being late.
Other features include the ability to notify clients and colleagues of arrival times for meetings via pre-formatted text messages.
The system works through Bluetooth on cars fitted with BMW’s Professional media system, and with phones plugged into the USB socket on regular systems. There will be a Mini-branded version of the app in the near future, along with an Android version to add to the iPhone app launched earlier this month.
