General Motors is launching a new in-vehicle app named Marketplace that will allow drivers to pay for goods such as gasoline or coffee and schedule service through their infotainment systems.
The automaker expects the free technology, which it is calling an industry first, to quickly expand from about a dozen offerings, such as ordering Dunkin’ Donuts or reserving a table at TGI Fridays, to other services such as Starbucks orders and dealership services, including oil changes.
“We are using it also to improve how our customers interact with the vehicle and the dealership network,” says Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president of global connected customer experience. He emphasized the connections are secure, and Marketplace is not meant to be an in-vehicle digital billboard.
Unlike many applications, Chamorro says Marketplace is designed to work while people are driving.
In-vehicle marketplaces and app-based services have been discussed for years. Offerings such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirror smartphone apps onto the vehicle’s infotainment screens but do not complete financial transactions.
GM is remotely sending Marketplace wirelessly to all 2017 and 2018 model-year vehicles equipped with the automaker’s new MyLink infotainment system. Owners have to agree to the update, which the automaker began to send last week. A data plan is not required.
Read more at Ad Age: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/gm-brings-dunkin-donuts-tgi-fridays-ordering-cars/311520/
SCREENCHOW 