BMW introduces smartphone app for roadside assistance

BMW Roadside Assistance smartphone app – Click above for image gallery

When it comes to the side of the road, let's just say you're not looking to get more familiar with it. Being stuck there is bad enough; being stuck there in a luxury car might be considered even worse. BMW wants to take a some of that edge off by making it easier to get help, introducing a personalized smartphone app for its BMW Roadside Assistance.

If Ultimate Service was included with your new or pre-owned BMW, then you can take advantage of it, or those who adopted too early can purchase an annual subscription. It works on iPhones, BlackBerries and Android phones – sorry, Palm and WinMo – and expedites requests for any BMW registered in the U.S. since 1975. Follow the jump for the press release, and look what you can do with your smartphone in the gallery of photos below.



[Source: BMW]
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BMW Roadside Assistance Introduces Smartphone Application

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 8, 2010 – BMW of North America, LLC today introduced a personalized smartphone application for its Roadside Assistance service in the United States. BMW Roadside Assistance is included as part of BMW Ultimate Service® with every new and Certified Pre-Owned BMW model, and is also available as a per-year subscription for older models. The free smartphone application, developed in partnership with Allstate Roadside Services, may be personalized by BMW owners and includes new functionality to enhance the overall BMW ownership experience. Unique to the sport-luxury marketplace, the new application is compatible with iPhone, BlackBerry®, and Android™ operating systems.

Key features of the new application include:
* Compatibility with any registered BMW model in the United States (models from 1975 onward).
* Expedited handling of BMW Roadside Assistance requests.
* Automatic sharing of GPS location and vehicle details (color, model, etc.) between the BMW Roadside Assistance call center and the vehicle owner.
* Direct telephone access to BMW contact information, including authorized BMW Centers, BMW Customer Relations, BMW Assist concierge/emergency services, and of course BMW Roadside Assistance.

"BMW Roadside Assistance has always been a leader in premium roadside services for the North American customer," stated Dan Creed, Vice President, Aftersales, BMW of North America. "The new, free smartphone application will find appeal not only with our core enthusiast customer but will also prove a valuable tool for any BMW driver requiring the services of BMW Roadside Assistance."

After downloading the application, BMW owners will access a number of custom settings so that their BMW vehicle(s) are properly managed in the application. Currently, up to four BMW vehicles may be imported to a single installation of the application. Each vehicle may be nicknamed, a unique photo may be associated to each vehicle, and the Vehicle Identification Number and color of each are also stored by the application.

The new application is available at http://www.roadsidemobile.com/bmw/.

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