OnStar RemoteLink Passes 14 Million Interactions

HTML5 technology makes app available on more devices
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DETROIT – More than 821,000 active users of OnStar’s RemoteLink mobile app have checked their tire pressure and how much gas is in their tank and have unlocked their doors as part of the more than 14 million interactions that have occurred since the auto industry’s first mobile app debuted in 2010.

Starting Wednesday, RemoteLink will be available to many more smartphone users. The mobile app, written using HTML5 technology, is now available in BlackBerry App World for BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 users.

The RemoteLink app was conceived as a feature for Chevrolet Volt owners to remotely check the status of their vehicle’s battery life. From there, the idea grew to leverage OnStar’s unique connection to the vehicle, providing drivers with up-to-date vehicle information such as oil level, tire pressure, fuel level, and lifetime miles per gallon. The app also offers users remote commands, including remote start, door lock/unlock, and horn/light activation.

Last year, OnStar added a navigation enhancement to RemoteLink, providing customers with the ability to search for a destination on their smartphone and send it directly to their vehicle, where they can access the route via OnStar. According to OnStar data, those who use the app most include the Chevrolet Volt, Cruze and Sonic drivers along with Chevrolet and GMC full-size pickups drivers.

For the 2013 model year, the OnStar RemoteLink mobile app will be compatible with 31 of General Motors’ vehicle models.

Since it was introduced, OnStar’s RemoteLink app has been available for iPhone and Android smartphones, but OnStar heard from many subscribers asking for a BlackBerry app.

“We listened to our subscribers, and in doing so, took an extra step by writing the BlackBerry version using HTML5 technology,” said Steve Schwinke, director, Advanced Systems Development for OnStar. “Writing the app using HTML 5 gave us insight into the readiness of the technology and positioned us to be more flexible supporting new phone operating systems.” HTML5 is an emerging language for structuring and writing content for the web that is gaining momentum in the mobile app space.

The OnStar RemoteLink app is available in BlackBerry App World now. OnStar subscribers can download the application and visit onstar.com to enable remote commands.