Munich/London. The BMW Connected personal digital
mobility assistant will be available via an Alexa skill on all
Alexa-enabled devices when the service is available in the U.K and
Germany. BMW is the first car maker to announce integration with Alexa
in the U.K. and Germany, enabling vehicle functions to be operated
from users’ homes by voice. BMW Connected will therefore be integrated
into users’ digital lives through another new touchpoint alongside the
iPhone, Apple Watch, and Android smartphones and smartwatches. As
previously announced, the mobility assistant skill from BMW will be
available in the U.S. on Alexa-enabled devices later this September.
Alexa brings BMW Connected into your living room.
The first version of BMW Connected, available in the U.S. since March
2016 and in Europe since August, focuses primarily on journey
management and remote services. In late September, BMW Connected will
literally be coming home. Through its integration with Alexa, it will
be possible to use voice commands to check the vehicle’s battery
charge and fuel level, for example, as well as lock the vehicle
remotely. Further, the Alexa integration will allow users to learn
about their next scheduled trip, find out what time to leave, and send
the destination to their BMW.
The activation word “Alexa,” followed by the invocation name “BMW,”
will allow users to access the relevant functions, e.g. “Alexa, ask
BMW when I should leave for my next appointment.” The vision of BMW
Connected integrated with Alexa was revealed at the 2016 Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. At the end of September the
vision will become a reality, when users in the U.S. will be able to
access BMW Connected through this popular service. Customers in the
U.K can access the BMW skill in the coming weeks and customers in
Germany that are part of the initial invitation-only phase will follow
next month.
About BMW Connected.
With BMW Connected, mobility begins before you take the wheel. The
BMW Connected service is a digital companion offered in the form of an
app for iPhone and Android smartphones, and combines the various
functions that assist with everyday mobility requirements. BMW
Connected scans for any mobility-related information, such as the
addresses and arrival times contained in calendar entries, and
notifies the driver of the ideal departure time for arriving at their
destination punctually on the basis of real-time traffic information.
BMW Connected is handy for transferring places and points of interest
from other apps, storing them as a destination together with the
desired arrival time, and then effortlessly importing them to BMW
in-car navigation systems with just a few clicks. Additionally, remote
services such as locking or unlocking the doors and turning on the
ventilation system are available at the driver’s fingertips, as well
as the ability to notify contacts of their estimated arrival time from
the in-car screen.
BMW Connected is available in the U.S., Germany, Austria, the United
Kingdom, Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain,
Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Ireland, Poland, the Czech
Republic, and Luxembourg.
Germany and the U.K. will be the first European markets to offer BMW
Connected integration with Alexa, with other markets to follow.