General Motors' OnStar communications business will begin this month to offer in-car connections to Facebook and text messages and will launch advertising to try to match the marketing boost Ford has received from Sync, a person familiar with the plans said.
OnStar will offer subscribers the chance to have their Facebook and text messages read to them. Users will also be able to text and update their Facebook accounts through voice commands, the person said, declining to be identified because the plans aren't public.
OnStar will also launch an ad campaign in mid-September with the tag line "Live On," the source said. GM executives realize Ford's image has benefited from marketing Sync, the person said, and GM wants to catch up.
Launched in 1996, OnStar established itself with such safety services as roadside assistance and communication with ambulance and police services in the event of an accident. Ford launched the Microsoft-powered Sync in 2007 as an infotainment technology that linked vehicles to smart phones.
OnStar has this year explored breaking into infotainment. So far, it has dabbled in smart phone applications that allow consumers to monitor gas or battery-charge levels and control the vehicle's locks, horn and remote start.
OnStar is also considering offering some services to non-subscribers, the source said. OnStar, free on most GM vehicles for the first year, costs $199 annually for safety features and $299 for a package that includes safety and navigation help.
The brand, which already works with Google on its smart phone apps, will also expand its technological partnerships, the person said.
Bloomberg earlier reported OnStar's upcoming new services.
Posted: 2010-09-09 10:57:43
