BMW i Augmented Reality Visualiser launches on Google Play

Move follows successful international pilot programme

Real-size 3-D products can be explored any time, any place

Unique interactive customer experience designed and built by Accenture

 

Munich. BMW i has launched its augmented reality
product visualiser powered by Tango on Google Play, meaning customers
can explore and pre-configure their ideal BMW i3 or i8 any time, any
where. BMW i is the first automotive brand in the world to offer
customers an interactive, 3-D augmented reality experience of their
products. Using Tango, Google’s smartphone augmented reality
technology, customers can explore the innovative BMW i vehicles as a
real-size, interactive visualisation.

 

Following a successful pilot programme in selected dealerships
worldwide, the BMW I Visualiser app can now be downloaded from Google
Play by anyone with a Tango-enabled device in most countries in the
world – customers in China and the USA will be able to download the
app by April. After downloading the app, customers can visualise and
experience the BMW i3 or i8 products, using augmented reality to
create a 3-D image which can be explored interactively: the customer
can open the boot or the doors, even getting “inside” the car to take
a closer look at the interior. It’s also possible to experiment with
different interior and exterior colours and a variety of wheel rims.

 

“We know that our customers are busy people and that we need to fit
into their lives,” commented Andrea Castronovo, BMW Group Vice
President, Sales Strategy and Future Retail. “With the BMW i
Visualiser now available on Google Play, we are delighted that
customers can now explore our products in a truly interactive and fun
way, whenever and wherever it suits them. Our vehicles are emotional
products and to get that emotional feeling, you really need to
experience them,” he continued. Andrea Castronovo believes that in
situations where the desired product isn’t available on the spot, this
visualisation is the next best thing. The quality of the images
created is certainly extremely realistic. “During our pilot, people
had great fun exploring the car, even ducking down their heads as if
there really were a roof there,” Castronovo said. “It’s that level of
detail which means this technology offers the customers real added
value,” he continued.

 

Eric Johnsen, Head of Business Development for Augmented Reality at
Google, said, “The thing that sets Tango apart is the fact that it
understands the context of the space that it’s in. So the wheels are
really on the floor, for example, giving the whole experience a much
more realistic feel.”

 

BMW i is the first automotive brand to use Tango to provide customers
with this interactive experience. “BMW i is the spearhead of
innovation at the BMW Group, so it’s the obvious choice for this app,”
explained Stefan Biermann, BMW Group Head of Innovations Sales, BMW i.
The BMW i Visualiser App is the latest innovation in the BMW Group’s
Future Retail programme, which began rolling out around three years
ago and which has transformed the customers’ experience of buying a
car. Many significant elements of Future Retail, such as the Product
Genius or the Virtual Product Presenter, have set new benchmarks for
the industry.

 

The BMW i Visualiser was designed and developed by Accenture, and its
customer experience agency Accenture Interactive, integrating BMW i
picture data of the vehicles into an app which uses Tango technology.
In order to keep the user-experience as intuitive and simple as
possible, the app is a visualiser instead of a full configurator,
where features such as interior and exterior colours or wheel rims can
be altered at a touch of the screen. Once the visualisation is
complete, the customer can save the data and share it with others, via
email or social media. In a future step, it will be possible to
transfer the data from the visualiser directly into the full BMW i
configurator at the customer’s local dealership.

 

“Our research shows that consumers are seeking improved use of
technologies like augmented reality during the car-buying process to
make the online-offline experience more compelling,” said Christina
Raab, managing director in Accenture’s Automotive practice. “BMW i’s
use of Tango technology and its integration with sales outlets and
existing configuration tools is helping create the seamless
multichannel experience customers are seeking.”

 

The BMW i Visualiser app will be showcased at the Mobile World
Congress in Barcelona later this month by both Accenture and Lenovo,
who already manufacture a Tango-enabled device. Many in the industry
believe that augmented reality-enabled devices will soon become widely
available. “We believe that over the next couple of years, the
majority of premium Android devices will be Tango-enabled,” said Eric
Johnsen. “Augmented reality has such huge potential for retail, we’re
just getting started,” he continued.

 

 

If you have any queries, please contact:

 

Corporate Communications

 

Emma Begley, Business and Finance Communications,
emma.begley@bmwgroup.com

Telephone: +49 89 382-72200

 

Glenn Schmidt, Head of Business and Finance Communications,
glenn.schmidt@bmwgroup.com

Telephone: +49 89 382-24544

 

Media website:
www.press.bmwgroup.com

Email: presse@bmw.de

 

 

The BMW Group

 

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the
world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles
and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global
company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities
in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

 

In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial
year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues amounting to €
92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 122,244 employees.

 

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

 


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