Premiere in China: Alibaba voice assistant introduced into BMW vehicles.

Munich/Las Vegas. The BMW Group is committed to
ongoing expansion of intelligent connectivity and is constantly
enhancing the digital experience for customers worldwide. To this end,
BMW will become the first premium carmaker to launch Tmall Genie onto
the market in China in selected BMW models. The intelligent voice
assistant from Alibaba A.I. Labs will be fully and seamlessly
integrated in BMW vehicles in China. As the two companies announced at
the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 (CES) in Las Vegas, the voice
assistant will be available in-car to BMW customers in China by the
end of 2019. The integration of the intelligent cloud-based voice
control service in the Chinese market opens up a variety of in-car
entertainment and shopping options for BMW drivers while on the road.

This latest move by the BMW Group follows integration of BMW
Connected into Alibaba’s Chinese ecosystem. It allows BMW customers
who have a Tmall Genie-compatible device at home to operate vehicle
functions easily and conveniently, and to call up appointments saved
in the BMW Connected mobility agenda. BMW Connected was launched in
China in December 2016 and is currently used by 1.5 million customers.
Now the integration of Tmall Genie into BMW vehicles enables customers
to access functions on the move they are already accustomed to using
at home on the move.

BMW customers in China can use Tmall Genie to place online orders,
for example, view cinema listings, listen to their favourite playlist
or check the weather at their destination. Customers will enjoy the
benefits of hundreds of Tmall Genie skills. They can access all
information the Tmall Genie has at its fingertips via audio output.
This can also be displayed in text and image form on the BMW Display Screen.

The focus is on the customer and their expectations of modern
mobility. The digital lifestyle they are used to should continue in
their car. “With the integration of Alibabas Tmall Genie in BMW
vehicles in China we are adding a digital ecosystem, which will open
up new possibilities that customers can access quickly and safely from
the car. This development sees BMW reaching a new milestone in China
in terms of intelligent connectivity between the customer’s vehicle
and their digital touchpoints.” according to Dieter May, Senior Vice
President Digital Services and Products at the BMW Group.

Miffy Chen, VP of Alibaba Group, General Manager of Alibaba A.I.
Labs: “We launched the ‘AI+Car’ solution last year aiming at providing
more intelligent and connected experience for Chinese car users
through Tmall Genie’s AI powered voice interaction and service
capabilities for cars. Among our collaboration with premium
automakers, we are very glad that BMW will be the first premium auto
brand to bring selected car models that fully integrate Tmall Genie to
the China market. We look forward to working together with BMW to
create a personalised mobility experience for its car customers in China.”

A smartphone is not required to use the intelligent voice assistant
in-car. All BMW models come with an embedded SIM card, which enables
seamless integration and permanent online availability.