BMW Assist - BMW drivers go online

Munich. Soon the automobile will not have to do without the many
benefits of the Internet anymore. As early as 2001 the BMW Group plans
to launch a so-called Web Portal on the market which transmits into his
car practically all the information he needs. Cooperation with
Mannesmann TeleCommerce (MTC) is proving to be highly successful so
that the customer will already be able to enjoy the benefits of a
mobile Internet Portal in the new generation of the BMW 7 Series.
Driver and passengers will then have permanent access to e-mail, SMS
(Short Message Service), maps and hotels, event programs, information
about theaters and cinemas at the current location or at the
destination. Making reservations is fast and easy. Without additional
programming the navigation system then takes you to your destination,
your hotel or to the next free parking space. The BMW Group is the
first automobile manufacturer who can provide the customer with
tailormade, user-profile-specific information from the massive amount of
data on the WorldWide Web via an Internet Portal. You can access data on
the go via a display in the car, via WAP mobile, or from at home or
from the office. Technically speaking a completely new feature is that
dynamic-content information from a central server and the linked-up
databases can be accessed in the car via WAP browser. The information
which is then actually made available in the car is already tailored to
and structured according to the customer's needs. The user can
configure his own settings in a separate area at www.bmw.de. What makes
the Internet so attractive in the automobile is that you can dynamically
link up individual data to provide useful and up-to-the-minute overall
information. For example Mannesmann TeleCommerce has more than 4000
technical facilities for registering traffic data all over Germany.
The data evaluated by the system regarding roadworks, current backups,
possible diversions and local weather reports provide the BMW Assist
online user with dynamic and intelligent route planning within a period
of seconds. With BMW Assist online as an element of the ConnectedDrive
offensive, the BMW Group is expanding its leading position among
automobile manufacturers - as technological leader in the areas of
navigation, information and online services for the automobile of the future.