MINI CONNECTED APPS PORTFOLIO CONTINUES TO EXPAND.

MINI USA Announces Partnerships with Audible, Glympse, Rhapsody and TuneIn.

• Demo apps available for media preview at the New York Auto Show.
• Additions ensure a well-rounded app portfolio for MINI Connected.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – March 27, 2013… MINI announced today that four new partners will provide integrated Apple iPhone apps for MINI Connected, MINI’s flexible and innovative infotainment platform. The addition of the new apps, Audible (digital spoken-word content), Glympse (location sharing), Rhapsody (on-demand music service) and TuneIn (Internet radio) ensures that the portfolio of MINI Connected Ready apps is well-rounded, addressing wider entertainment options as well as functional needs.

“We regularly identify apps that our owners rely on as part of their everyday life, and adapt them for an in-vehicle experience they’ll find safe, useful and engaging,” said Phil Johnston, Product Manager for the BMW Group Apps Platform from the BMW Group Technology Office. “Audible, Glympse, Rhapsody and TuneIn were natural additions to the family of MINI Connected Ready Apps.”

Johnston continued, “Integrating access to digital spoken-word content from Audible, was the next logical way to expand audio entertainment for drivers. The ability to use the Glympse app from the existing vehicle controls enables drivers to share their whereabouts and ETA in a much safer way. Music is key to vehicle infotainment, and by partnering with Rhapsody, we are delivering music to our owners in user-friendly formats they prefer. With TuneIn, MINI motorers will not only get thousands of music radio stations, but also live sports, news and talk shows from around the world.”

Previews of all four demo apps will be offered for media guests at the New York International Auto Show on the MINI stand March 27 and 28.

Audible: The leader in audiobooks, providing digital spoken-word content to customers.

Audible is the world’s largest producer and seller of digital spoken-word entertainment. Audible content comprises over 135,000 audio programs from more than 2,700 content providers, including leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible is the exclusive provider of downloadable audiobooks to Apple’s iTunes store.

The addition of Audible’s digital spoken-word content to MINI Connected will be the first time a graphical integration of the app will be available in a vehicle’s infotainment system. Customers will be able to access their library through the BMW iDrive controls and menu display. With Audible’s innovative Whispersync for Voice technology, MINI owners can also switch seamlessly between reading a book on their Kindle at home and listening to the companion audiobook in the car via their iPhone app—without losing their place. With Audible’s suite of mobile apps, last listening position, bookmarks and notes are saved in the cloud, ensuring drivers always pick up where they left off when they open their iPhone app.

Glympse: GPS-driven location sharing.

Glympse’s location-sharing application enables users to share their location with anyone for a specified period of time. By accessing Glympse through MINI Connected, drivers can use the car’s familiar dash and controls to share their location and estimated time of arrival (ETA) while en route, without the distraction of picking up their phone.

With MINI Connected and Glympse, drivers can opt to send a Glympse to other users via text or email (using the phone’s existing contact list). Additionally, they can automatically share location with attendee lists on their iPhone's calendar, or with their personal social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter). Recipients of the Glympse can view the driver’s progress in real-time on a dynamic map for the amount of time specified by the user.

Rhapsody: On-Demand music service.

Rhapsody is the original premium, ad-free on-demand music service, with more than one million members, who can listen to more than 16 million tracks on their favorite device, including connected audio systems, smartphones, iPads and Android tablets, MP3 players, connected TVs, gaming consoles and in-car audio. Rhapsody offers the best music discovery tools, thanks to a team of renowned editors help guide members through Rhapsody's catalog spanning 600 genres with original features and content, including videos, playlists, reviews and radio stations for effortless listening and discovery. Rhapsody makes it easy to find the right song for every moment.

The Rhapsody iPhone app will be fully integrated into the MINI Connected system, meaning users will be able to not only use the vehicle controls to find and listen to their favorite tracks, but also navigate Rhapsody’s music discovery tools, which have been adapted for in-car use.

TuneIn: The World’s Radio.

TuneIn lets people listen to the world’s music, sports, talk and news from wherever they are, with over 70,000 AM, FM, HD and Internet radio stations and more than two million on-demand programs streaming from every continent. The free service includes practically every genre of music, including decades stations, plus live sports, and nearly every podcast show. A free personal account helps drivers access their favorite stations, songs and programs across any device.

The MINI Connected integration will enable Apple iPhone users to access the TuneIn app using infotainment controls of their vehicle, allowing them to navigate the world’s radio from their car.

MINI Apps.

In MINI models, the Apple iPhone can be integrated into the vehicle’s existing infotainment system using MINI Connected. Thanks to extensive functionality and flexibility, “MINI Connected-ready” apps are easily updated. MINI customers stay connected with the latest and greatest services to enrich the driving experience.

MINI in the US

MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand.  The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 116 MINI passenger car dealers in 38 states. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops.  Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of seven unique vehicles.

Journalist note: Media information about MINI and its products is available to journalists on-line at www.miniusanews.com. 

Consumer information about MINI products is available via the internet at: www.MINIUSA.com

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