Tag Archives: onstar

IBM and GM Debut a “Cognitive Mobility Platform”

Posted on 28 October 2016 by Ken Zino

Translation: more distracted driving enablers are coming. OnStar has more connected vehicles on the road than any other automaker. By the end of 2016, GM expects to have 12 million OnStar connected vehicles on the road worldwide. Continue reading →

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New IBM Cloud Service for Automakers Debuts at IAA

Posted on 16 September 2015 by Ken Zino

By 2020, it is estimated that 90% of new cars will be equipped with extensive connectivity services. Automakers are increasingly using so-called IoT solutions (Internet of Things – more industry gibberish) that help to, allegedly, to deliver data generated from cars directly to the cloud for near real-time analysis. Continue reading →

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GM OnStar Telematics Now in Mexico

Posted on 26 June 2013 by Ken Zino

OnStar Mexico, announced today that its telemetric services are now active on the new Chevrolet Cheyenne (aka Silverado) and GMC Sierra pickups, and will be available on the Cadillac ATS later this year. More vehicles across GM’s four vehicle brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac – will be equipped with OnStar throughout 2014. Continue reading →

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New 2014 GM Models Get Two Years Free Maintenance

Posted on 7 June 2013 by Ken Zino

Customers who purchase or lease a new 2014 Chevrolet, Buick or GMC car, truck or crossover in the U.S. will be covered by a new maintenance program that includes scheduled services for two years or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Continue reading →

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OnStar Subscribers Reach 450,000 in China

Posted on 11 June 2012 by Ken Zino

OnStar Shanghai said today that it passed two major milestones in May with its subscriber base across China reaching 450,000, and requests for Turn-by-Turn Navigation totaling 13.8 million since the launch of the telematics service in October 2009. OnStar has 6 million subscribers worldwide.

Shanghai OnStar received certification from China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping in 2011, becoming the first telematics joint venture allowed offering mapping service in China. Continue reading →

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Los Angeles and Chicago Top OnStar Good Samaritan List

Posted on 13 March 2012 by Ken Zino

A Good Samaritan call occurs when an OnStar subscriber contacts an OnStar advisor to report another motorist’s situation requiring emergency assistance because of a vehicle collision, flat tire or response to an Amber Alert. Continue reading →

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OnStar Reverses Tracking of Ex-Users after Privacy Uproar

Posted on 27 September 2011 by Ken Zino

The OnStar privacy about face does not address what will remain an issue about OnStar’s data collection and reselling of current subscriber information. In the U.S. automakers and other marketers assume customer information is their property to do what they will with. This is the exact opposite of laws in place in Europe that stipulate the customer, not the company, owns and controls their information. Continue reading →

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OnStar Aftermarket Mirror – $299 – at Best Buy Next Week

Posted on 18 July 2011 by Ken Zino

OnStar is now offering its telematics services in the aftermarket for older General Motors cars and the most popular non-GM vehicles. It’s the first time owners of other makes of automobiles could subscribe to OnStar through a Chinese built electronic mirror. Continue reading →

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Ten Fuelish Mistakes Drivers Make, Hurting Their Fuel Economy

Posted on 26 May 2011 by Ken Zino

A new study by Chevrolet shows that drivers in identical cars can differ in their fuel economy by as much as 16 mpg or 40%. This means that by practicing simple techniques a driver can save as much as $100 a month at the pump. Continue reading →

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Los Angeles Motorists Rate Number One as Good Samaritans

Posted on 12 April 2011 by Ken Zino

Drivers in Los Angeles made more “Good Samaritan” calls last year to report other motorists in trouble, according to OnStar, the telematics arm of General Motors said today.
Using anonymous subscriber interaction data, OnStar found that of the 10 largest U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Los Angeles had the most Good Samaritan calls in 2010 by a wide margin, with nearly 900 more calls than Chicago, which came in second.
Continue reading →

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OnStar Presidential Shakeup. Preuss Out. Marshall In

Posted on 18 January 2011 by Ken Zino

As a lifelong public relations professional, Preuss was likely much more sensitive to the growing distracted driving problem than Wall Street and other executives who emphasize growth with little or no concern for the social problems that the growth might cause. Continue reading →

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OnStar Starts Voice Application Student Competition

Posted on 15 January 2011 by Ken Zino

OnStar is looking for new in-vehicle voice-enabled applications through a contest at five U.S. universities.

The growing telematics subsidiary of General Motors is a leader in the controversial area of in-vehicle electronics OnStar is interested in working with students who are studying voice application development. The voice platform allows OnStar to provide more connectivity to subscribers.

This also might enable more distracted driving accidents, currently responsible for 6,000 deaths and more than 500,000 serious injuries each year, according to the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics. A total of 33,808 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in 2009. Another 2.22 million people were injured. Continue reading →

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OnStar Expands Beyond GM Cars. Will offer Aftermarket Mirror

Posted on 5 January 2011 by Ken Zino

OnStar will offer its telematics services in the aftermarket for older General Motors cars and the most popular non-GM vehicles for $299 this spring.

A standalone rearview mirror containing OnStar’s core technology will be available through consumer electronics retailers, starting with Best Buy, and is compatible with most top-selling vehicles from major manufacturers. Installation is expected to cost between $75 and $100. A range of service plans will be available, starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year. Continue reading →

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Colonel Shoup’s Sleigh Ride! North American Aerospace Defense Command Still Tracks Santa Claus

Posted on 20 December 2010 by Ken Zino

This sleigh ride started with a misprint: In 1955 a Sears Roebuck & Company advertisement asked kids to call Santa at what was a wrong phone number. The Santa Claus number was actually the hotline for the Commander-in-Chief of  the … Continue reading →

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