After trying projecting the future of automotive world
through the Vision Next 100 concept car, BMW now refocuses on the development
of digital technology that can be enjoyed by the consumers in the near future.
In the Microsoft Build event, this German manufacturer introduces its debut in
the smartphone's virtual assistant: BMW Connected.
Even though this is not entirely a virtual assistant like
Siri or Cortana, but at least BMW Connected has similar functionality. This
iPhone app will try to observe your daily agenda, and then gives a notification
when it's time to leave. Furthermore, it will also display traffic information
in real-time and store the data of locations you often visit.
The excellence of BMW Connected if compared to other virtual
assistants is its deep integration with the ConnectedDrive infotainment system
of majority BMW cars. The integration offered is not only limited on
infotainment functions , the BMW Connected also offers other functions such as
opens and locks the car's doors, turns on and off the AC and so forth, which
can’t be given by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
BMW Connected is designed using Microsoft's Azure platform,
ensuring the update of the new features can be delivered on a regular basis and
also reliable synchronization at any time. So far the BMW Connected is
available only for the US market, but thanks to the flexibility of Azure, BMW
could more easily expand this service to other areas in the near future.