BMW China to Partner with Baidu on Vehicle Connectivity Solutions

BMW China and Baidu have teamed up recently to collaborate on the development of the next generation Internet of Vehicles (IoV) solutions which would connect vehicles with smart home devices. The agreement between BMW Connected and Baidu Internet of Vehicles was signed at the CES Asia 2018 which was held recently in Shanghai. The two companies signed the agreement in relation to home-to-vehicle cooperation. With the finalization of this deal, BMW Connected would further extend its reach in the lives of customers from vehicles and mobile devices into their digital lives.

The new service will allow customers to access and operate vehicle functions from the comfort of their homes through voice control. For example, they can easily check the fuel level in their vehicles so that they can leave their home earlier in case they need to top up their fuel levels. They can lock the car using remote control, plan routes and departure times in advance and search for mobility information which is stored by BMW Connected. They can activate the voice control function by using certain wake-up words.
The cooperation with Baidu is meant to help BMW to develop its ‘In China, for China’ R&D strategy.

BMW is actively involved in building and integrating China’s digital ecosystem, and is partnering with high tech companies in China to expand the implementation of its open innovation concept. This is part of BMW’s drive to develop a diversified and smart mobility experience for its customers in China.

BMW Connected would use several touchpoints like Apple Watch and iPhone to integrate vehicles into the digital lives of customers. BMW Connected is powered by BMW Open Mobility Cloud, which is a flexible cloud-based system.
According to BMW, BMW Connected can extend mobility beyond the vehicle. The company reiterated its commitment to building a mobility ecosystem and its desire to provide intelligent, seamless and personalized mobility services for customers.

BMW Connected was launched in December, 2016, and currently has over one million users. It is available on both iOS and Android platforms.
Commenting on the collaboration with BMW China, Baidu intelligent driving group vice president and general manager Zhenyu Li said: “Emerging technologies for the automotive industry have created a more comfortable, convenient, safer and smarter travel experience for consumers. New advancements in IoT, AI and hardware have transformed the 100-year-old industry with unprecedented opportunities.”