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GM's OnStar Command Center: S.O.S. to the Rescue
By: Gary "G-Joe" Joseph, 02.13.05
You’ve heard the radio commercials and many have
experienced the ad campaigns OnStar has been strategically placing in
consumer markets over the past few months. For example, a distressed mother
has locked her child in an overheating vehicle and needs OnStar to remotely
unlock the doors and save the day. OnStar, the modern day Robin Hood,
rides to the rescue while providing personal safety features that expand
beyond normal navigational capabilities.
Founded in 1995 OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General
Motors (GM), has increased its vehicle presence to over 3 million
with plans of doubling that figure in the near future. A recent
winner of the Good Housekeeping “Good Buy” award
for “Best Service,” OnStar will soon offer multi-language
voice services to accommodate expanding customer bases. With
the rapid growth of the Latin American community in the U.S.
and the large number of French Canadian auto buyers GM found
it necessary to market to these demos accordingly.
OnStar receives a monthly average of 800 airbag deployment signals,
450 stolen vehicle notifications and an astounding 37,000 door
unlock requests. It looks as though OnStar customers are getting
their money’s worth. It must be the owners of other makes
that are keeping AAA in business. By 2007, GM expects to offer
OnStar as a standard feature in all of its U.S. models. Currently,
OnStar is factory installed in over 50 GM models.
One of OnStar’s stellar capabilities is its Personal Calling
plans. Personal Calling allows hands-free, voice activated calling
options to drivers. Personal Calling is promoted as a backup
to cellulars in case of difficulties -- which we all know range
from dying batteries to limited reception. The minutes are pre-paid,
with no long distance and roaming charges, nor any contracts
and monthly fees for that matter. I can personally speak for
Personal Calling’s conveniences.
While touring GM headquarters in downtown Detroit, Automotive
Rhythms had a chance to experience the new OnStar Command Center
first hand. This state-of-the-art facility, which is equipped
with several large computers and workstations, takes calls
in order to deploy emergency units to accident scenes or to
guide lost souls like me through downtown in search of my hotel.
The Command Center walls were adorned with patents for products
created to build the OnStar safety, security and information
services. Additionally, there are two other OnStar call centers
in the U.S.
The Command Center also houses a fully functional XM Satellite
Radio studio. If GM wanted to create an on-air program for one
of XM’s channels, the entire show could be produced and
broadcasted from that particular studio without missing a beat.
The first full year subscription of the OnStar Safe & Sound
plan is offered within the vehicle price. An option to purchase
continued service at the end of the year is available for $16.95
per month. Visit
www.onstar.com for more information.
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