The OnStar service provided by General Motors Co. intends to start providing retailers with the opportunity to reach customers in a more direct way while the latter are driving. The company revealed a new service at the Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in Las Vegas.
The President of The Priceline Partner Network, Randy Schartner, said in a General Motors statement, cited by Bloomberg: “We were seeing a growing segment of our business, with Priceline users making same-day reservations for hotels while driving in their cars. Making Priceline hotels available to drivers through OnStar in a safe and secure way is great way for Priceline consumers and GM drivers to become one and the same.”
The U.S.-based auto manufacturer currently offers high-speed Wi-Fi in its vehicles. Next the company is to implement a new in-car service in 2015, which will start informing drivers when they are able to get coupons from local retailers and even make hotel reservations at the time they are behind the wheel.
Digital coupon services RetailMeNot and Entertainment Book will be used by General Motors OnStar network in order to make the connection between the retailers and customers.
The new service, called AtYourService, is planned to be offered via the OnStar information network of General Motors and is to be provided to the companys customers located in the U.S. and Canada. At present the OnStar information network has almost six million subscribers in North America.
The step taken by General Motors is considered part of its strategy to make cars more of a means to make money. Auto manufacturers have been seeking partners among mobile-app developers and technology companies in order to expand their reach and lure more customers.
As reported by ABC News, the Consumer Online Officer of OnStar, Mark Lloyd, said: “We will continue to innovate in ways that make our customers time on the road more efficient and more convenient.”
General Motors also noted in a statement, that new diagnostic services are planned to be offered by the company via the OnStar network.
General Motors Co. was down 0.20% to close at $34.84 per share on Friday, marking a one-year drop of 14.92%. The company is valued at $55.98 billion. The companys shares traded at €29.135 in Frankfurt as of 8:38 GMT, up 0.52% for the day. According to CNN Money, the 17 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts for General Motors Co. have a median target of $41.00, with a high estimate of $53.00 and a low estimate of $27.00. The median estimate represents a +17.68% increase from the last price of $34.84.
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