Dubai Police and BMW Launch First Middle East In-Car Emergency Service

Dubai Police, in partnership with BMW Group, today announced the launch
of BMW Assist, a new emergency and SOS service which gives drivers, for
the first time in the Middle East, a direct voice link to a Dubai
Police Emergency Centre when something unforeseen happens. Pressing
the SOS button, located above the central iDrive controller, or
selecting Emergency Service via the on-board monitor, creates a direct
voice-link with the emergency police control centre, enabling the
situation to be explained. If the worst happens, the 'Emergency SOS
Call' facility is automatically activated in a crash via the airbag
sensor, ensuring that action can be taken quickly - even if the driver
is unable to make a voice connection. Regardless of whether activation
of the SOS call is manual or automatic the vehicle's data and GPS
position is forwarded to the police Emergency Centre by SMS. An SMS
receive-station, designed by Dubai Police engineers, translates the
information contained in the SMS to geographical information and
illustrates the accurate position of the vehicle on a satellite map of
UAE. The relevant local rescue services can then be alerted. The
police, ambulance and fire brigade will be able to locate the vehicle
precisely and get to it without delay. In the event of an 'Emergency
SOS Call' being made in Dubai, the Dubai Police Information Reception
System automatically locates the police patrol responsible for the area
in which the emergency has taken place. If the emergency occurs outside
Dubai in another Emirate, Dubai Police will forward the details of the
emergency and the vehicle's location to the Operations Room of the
relevant police force. "The successful cooperation between Dubai
Police telecom engineers and BMW Group has resulted in the launch of
BMW Assist. It will make a major contribution to promoting effective
communication between Dubai Police and drivers involved in an accident
or other emergency, enabling the police and other emergency services to
respond faster than before to any emergency," said His Excellency
Lt General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commandant General, Dubai Police.
"Through our partnership with BMW Group, Dubai Police is again
demonstrating its strong commitment to provide the highest levels of
safety and security on the roads and its determination to enhance the
services it provides to the public. "Although the 'Emergency SOS
Call' service is currently only available with BMW cars, Dubai Police
engineers have designed a system capable of receiving information from
all cars fitted with GPS. We call on automotive importers to cordinate
with our engineers in the Telecom Management and Electronic Development
department to learn how to implement this service in their vehicles, as
it is of upmost importance to drivers in the UAE," Lt General
Dhahi Khalfan Tamim added. BMW Assist is available with any BMW model
fitted with the BMW Professional Navigation system with an on-board
monitor, in-built telephone and DVD navigation computer. To activate
the BMW Assist service the driver must insert their Etisalat GSM phone
chip into the in-built car phone and turn on the system. The service
will be available, in BMW 3, 5, 6 and 7 Series, Z4 and X3 and X5
vehicles, from March. "BMW Assist helps in crucial
situations,"said Robert Bailey-McEwan, Managing Director, BMW
Group Middle East. "The 'Emergency SOS Call' button, with
'Automatic Vehicle Location' saves time when you need help quickly. It's
great if things never get that far, but it's far better if you have BMW
Assist's 'Emergency SOS Call' at your disposal, not just for your own
safety but also for the security of your passengers. "The service
can also be activated by a BMW driver who witnesses a major accident.
He can stop at the accident scene, press the SOS button and inform the
police, via the established SMS and voice link, about the accident and
its precise location." The announcement of the BMW Assist service
comes less than a week after the premium car manufacturer unveiled its
innovative and ground breaking BMW ConnectedDrive concept in the UAE,
enabling customers with BMW Online to access E-Mails from their car.
"The BMW ConnectedDrive concept brings a whole new world of
communication and opportunities to motorists. From emergency SOS calls
to E-mail, BMW Assist and BMW OnLine can offer everything necessary to
provide enhanced mobility and improved safety, giving drivers the green
light to enjoy the ultimate driving experience," said
Bailey-McEwan. "Always a motivating force in technological
innovation, BMW was the first manufacturer to introduce on-board
navigation in our Middle East models," said Bailey-McEwan.
"And now we are moving forward yet again by offering another
first, combining safety facilities and services in one integrated
system." At the end of the press conference announcing the new
service, Dr Khalid Ali Ghanim Al Marri, Director of Communications and
Electronic Development, Dubai Police Force, gave a live demonstration
of the 'Emergency SOS Call' service, showing how the Dubai Police
Information Reception System works. About ConnectedDrive: BMW
ConnectedDrive seeks to achieve a sensible, target-oriented balance,
combining the strengths of the driver with those of the car?s technical
systems. BMW ConnectedDrive unites all activities within BMW related to
the intelligent integration of driver, car and surroundings. The idea,
quite simply, is that each player should make the best possible
contribution. While in the past interaction of the driver, the car and
the environment was usually left up to the driver himself and his
ability to adjust to different situations, BMW ConnectedDrive now opens
up new perspectives. The objective is to give the driver as much
information as desired and required, providing this information
individually and ergonomically for optimum results. Making life easier
and not more difficult through the assistance principle, BMW
ConnectedDrive is thus able to support the driver and enhance the
overall standard of safety and comfort on the road. The driver
nevertheless remains the key factor in all cases, retaining full
responsibility for all driving manoeuvres. Precisely this is why all
features of BMW ConnectedDrive are merely options made available to the
driver, giving him freedom of choice he may use at his discretion.
The bottom line, therefore, is that BMW ConnectedDrive offers an even
higher standard of sheer driving pleasure in the ultimate driving machine.