BMW Assist is a telematic roadside assistance service offered by BMW, similar to GM’s OnStar or Mercedes-Benz mbrace. It utilizes cellular and GPS technology to provide various services like emergency calls, roadside assistance, stolen vehicle recovery, and remote unlocking.
Discontinuation of BMW Assist Renewals
On January 11, 2016, BMW announced that it will be discontinuing renewals for the BMW Assist Safety Plan and Convenience Plan due to changes in national cellular network protocols.
Below is the official notification from BMW ConnectedDrive Services to BMW North America dealers regarding the termination of certain BMW Assist services.
BMW ConnectedDrive Services
Publish Date: January 11, 2016
From: Product Requirements and Dev
Expiration Date: January 25, 2016
Subject: Discontinuation of BMW Assist Renewals
Dear BMW Centers,
Please see the below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about discontinuing renewals of BMW Assist Safety Plan and Convenience Plan. Please review the FAQs as they help to provide more clarity on this topic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Discontinuation of renewals for BMW Assist Safety Plan and Convenience Plan.
1. Why was this change made?
At the end of 2016, the underlying communication technology will no longer be supported. At that time, BMW Assist Safety and Convenience Services will no longer function in the vehicle. We are discontinuing renewals so that service durations are not included beyond this date.
2. What services are affected?
All services under the BMW Assist Safety Plan and Convenience Plan are affected and will no longer work following the end of 2016. This includes the Emergency Calling (SOS) feature as well as MyInfo (Send to Car), Remote Services such as Remote Door Unlock and the My BMW Remote app, Stolen Vehicle Recovery, TeleService, Concierge and all other services which are available under the BMW Assist Safety and Convenience Plans.
3. My original contract for BMW Assist services goes beyond 2016. How will this affect me?
If your original contract (i.e., BMW-paid) ends later than Dec. 31, 2016, you will receive additional information from BMW.
4. Can a customer upgrade their vehicle to newer technology that would support BMW Assist?
Currently, we do not have a retrofit option in order to upgrade earlier hardware to newer hardware so that BMW Assist can still be supported. However, we are working on a technical upgrade. For further details, please contact your dealer in the second half of 2016.
5. Why is this discontinuation in BMW Assist renewals only occurring now?
Because the BMW Assist Safety Plan and Convenience Plan are available as a one-year renewal, this change is being made to ensure that Safety and Convenience Plan renewals are only sold within the timeframe that they can be supported.
6. When will the services stop working?
By January 1, 2017, the services of the BMW Assist Safety Plan and Convenience Plan will no longer be available.
Sources
- BMW DCSnet: Discontinuation of BMW Assist Renewals (PDF)
- Hum: Connected Car Technology
