OnStar will soon introduce an in-vehicle connection to Facebook and text messages. According to several sources, the updated system will be able to read text and Facebook messages to vehicle occupants as well as give users the ability to update and send messages to those accounts using voice commands.
The added safety benefit of not having to look and interact with a cell phone while driving is definitely a high-tech way to increase safety and direct more of the driver’s attention to the road ahead.
What’s more, OnStar will run an ad campaign called LiveOn highlighting the newly-added functionality as well as the traditional features offered by the service starting in September.
OnStar originally launched in 1996 as a safety-oriented service that provided roadside assistance and communication with ambulance and police services in the event of an accident.
Most recently, General Motors has announced that it will release OnStar smartphone applications for each of its core brands that will allow consumers to control their vehicle’s locks, horn and lights, activate remote start, as well as monitor gas or battery charge levels – all from the apps.
The GM Authority Take
Needless to say, this is very exciting stuff.
On a somewhat different note, Ford has benefited greatly from its Sync in-car infotainment/communications technology. In fact, Sync already has the ability to read and accept messages from SMS, Facebook, and Twitter.
As such, the move by OnStar to attain more feature parity with Ford’s service is not surprising. And even though OnStar is almost a decade older than Sync (which launched in 2007), the latter seems to have greater mindshare at the moment. Let’s see if these much-needed (and uber-cool) features elevate OnStar and its image to new levels.
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