While Tesla, Uber, Google and many other companies race to deliver self-driving cars to the market, BMW is staking a claim in next-generation automotive technologies by introducing personal, connected services to its vehicles.

Earlier this year, BMW introduced a connected car concept dubbed the Open Mobility Cloud. As it’s envisioned by BMW, the Open Mobility Cloud connects drivers with all facets of their lives that exist outside of the car. These other facets include the driver’s daily agenda, commonly driven routes, and even smart home.

At January’s CES, BMW showcased a futuristic mobility “mirror,” which leverages the Open Mobility Cloud. In this future vision, the mirror is synced with drivers’ smart homes and connected to their calendars. It not only alerts drivers about when they need to get on the road in order to ensure on time arrival; it even prompts the car to back itself out of the driveway.

If BMW’s mobility mirror was a teaser for what might be coming a few years down the road, the company has found more immediate applications for the Open Mobility Cloud. Last week Motoring File published an official release announcing the launch of a new connected app designed for the MINI Cooper. The app includes what the company is calling a personal assistant. MINI Connected is currently available for the iPhone only, but is slated for release on the Android platform as well.

In a world where IoT is rapidly becoming more pervasive, automakers are seeing as many opportunities outside of the car and inside it. MINI Connected is a small step in that direction, attempting to extend BMW’s brand into more aspects of drivers’ lives. After installing the app, the personal assistant can access the driver’s calendar and also capture data on recent and new destinations. By tapping into weather and traffic data, the assistant can suggest the best time to leave for an appointment or trip.

As soon as the driver gets into the car, the personal assistant app syncs with the car’s navigation systems so that it can start the route automatically, saving the driver from having to re-enter a destination. The assistant can apparently also access points of interest from other apps and suggest interesting stops along the route.

Other helpful information offered by MINI Connected includes real-time updates on the car’s systems. The assistant can inform the driver on current fuel levels and send reminders when a fill up is needed. For hybrid models, the app shows the battery’s charge level.

While these capabilities aren’t as flashy as the magic mobility mirror, they show a concerted effort to provide drivers with useful intelligent assistance. Drivers are becoming more accustomed to all things being connected. In general, we have increasing expectations that the objects we use will be “smart.”

As one of the most valuable and critically important assets most people own, our expectations about what our cars are capable of are steadily rising. As as result, BMW’s investments in the Open Mobility Cloud are likely to pay off. While it’s not the same as a private chauffeur, a personal driving assistant can certainly come in handy.

Categories: Conversational Intelligence, Intelligent Assistants, Articles, Mobile + Location

Tags: intelligent Assistants, BMW, MINI Connected, autonomous vehicles