2005 Marks Watershed Year for OnStar
26 Dezember 2005 - 2:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Subscriber base approaches 4 million in 2005 DETROIT, Dec. 26
/PRNewswire/ -- Without much fanfare, OnStar by GM has answered the
call of millions of drivers with the simple push of the "Blue
Button." In the process, OnStar has become not only a key
differentiator for GM cars and trucks, but a highly innovative
company with far-reaching influence within the technology sector.
With increased usage and strong acceptance, OnStar grew to nearly
four million customers in 2005, capping a watershed year in the
company's ten-year history. By leveraging the experience,
technology and resources of GM and a host of technology companies,
OnStar has been able to harness the capabilities and creativity of
the still-emerging telematics industry, to offer customers the most
comprehensive in-vehicle safety, communications, directional
assistance and personal services in the industry. Since its
beginning in 1995, OnStar has evolved from a "nice-to-have" safety
feature to a comprehensive suite of communication and security
services that customers increasingly rely on for peace of mind.
According to an OnStar survey, over 75 percent of OnStar
subscribers say they prefer to have OnStar in their next vehicle,
and almost 90 percent of subscribers say they would recommend the
service to others. "OnStar is a great example of the innovative
thinking and world-class technology that only GM can offer," said
Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO. "OnStar's unique features and
services complement our great cars and trucks and enhance our
customers' overall vehicle experience. The decision to make OnStar
standard on all models over the next couple of years highlights our
promise to offer the best cars and trucks with the best value,"
Wagoner added. Highlighting a remarkable year, OnStar: * Announced
that it would become standard on all GM retail vehicles in the U.S.
and Canada by the end of 2007. * Increased the subscriber base by
30 percent over 2004, approaching 4 million customers. * Saw its
unaided brand awareness grow significantly, comparable to tech
industry giants Sony(R) and Microsoft(R). * Introduced OnStar
Vehicle Diagnostics (OVD), a GM-exclusive service that conducts
remote diagnostics and sends a personalized monthly report to the
subscriber. Initial receptivity of the new service has been strong,
with over 430,000 subscriber activations since it was introduced in
September. * Played a key role in growing the subscriber base of
XM, America's No. 1 satellite radio, which surpassed five million
subscribers in September, more than double the number of a year
ago. Factory-installed XM Satellite Radio is currently available on
more than 90 percent of the GM vehicle lineup, making it among the
fastest technology rollouts in GM history. * Leveraged its
sophisticated communications infrastructure and network to aid
people in need during the evacuations leading to, and the relief
efforts in the wake of, several hurricanes this year. OnStar opened
its entire suite of services free-of-charge to provide
telecommunications, route support and emergency assistance for
thousands of subscribers. "The growth of OnStar is due in large
part to our ability to bring to market relevant technologies that
meet customers' evolving needs," said Chet Huber, OnStar president.
"We've established a strong technology foundation, which serve as
the building blocks for future offerings. What began with core
safety features such as roadside assistance, emergency services and
route support, continues to expand with new offerings and features
like Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN), hands-free
calling, and OnStar vehicle diagnostics. "While the range and depth
of OnStar's technology and services has grown tremendously, the
beauty of the system and real customer value lies in the
surprisingly simple, easy-to-use interface. Staying true to our
brand position of powerfully simple technology has really been
important to our growth," Huber added. "The dot-com era businesses
that survived and became successful did so in an environment of
high-profile IPOs, rampant equity speculation and other hoopla that
drove many automotive technology offerings into the ditch," said
Thilo Koslowski, technology analyst for Gartner, Inc. "All the
while OnStar was quietly adding millions of paying customers and
expanding service. In legitimizing opportunities to incorporate
consumer technology into vehicles, the company has left the door
open for continued innovation that offers real value to consumers."
Representing OnStar's commitment to increase value for its
subscribers, OnStar has launched six generations of hardware during
its short ten-year history. Debuting exclusively on Cadillac models
in 1997, OnStar is now available on over 50 GM models today. In an
average month, OnStar advisors respond to more than 340,000 routing
calls, 44,000 remote door unlocks, 25,000 roadside assistance
calls, 32,000 remote vehicle diagnostic checks, 500 stolen vehicle
location assistance requests, 900 air bag deployment notifications,
15,000 emergency service requests and 5,500 good Samaritan calls
for assistance. To date, OnStar has had more than 53 million
subscriber interactions including more than 12 million routing
requests, 1.25 million door unlock requests, 750,000 Roadside
Assistance requests and 25,000 air bag deployment notifications.
About OnStar: OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors,
is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and
communication services using wireless technology and the Global
Positioning System (GPS) satellite network. OnStar is available on
more than 50 GM models for 2006. OnStar will be a standard feature
for GM's retail customers in the United States and Canada, covering
all segments and prices except for some commercial vehicles. OnStar
safety and security services include automatic notification of air
bag deployment, stolen vehicle location assistance, emergency
services, roadside assistance, remote door unlock, and GM
Goodwrench remote vehicle diagnostics. OnStar Hands-Free Calling
allows drivers to make and receive hands-free, voice-activated
calls from their vehicle. More information about OnStar can be
found at http://www.onstar.com/ . DATASOURCE: General Motors
Corporation CONTACT: Renee Rashid-Merem of General Motors
Corporation, +1-313-665-3170, ; or Anne Mittelstaedt of OnStar,
+1-313-667-0874, Web site: http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/
http://www.onstar.com/
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