OnStar Goes Mobile (Commerce)

OnStar’s contextual commerce platform is getting even more specific with a new partnership.

It was announced yesterday (Jan. 4) that General Motors’ OnStar has partnered with cloud solutions and mobile software activation company Synchronoss Technologies, through which the latter’s Integrated Life platform will facilitate merchant transactions and cloud intelligence to expand the features and contextual relevance of the former’s AtYourService commerce and marketing platform.

OnStar AtYourService, a press release explains, first launched in early 2015 and facilitates the digital engagement between drivers and physical merchants, creating personalized and relevant connections to commerce. With the partnership, the service will be buoyed by the Synchronoss Integrated Life platform’s ability to deliver unique and accurate context-based in-car offers and services to subscribers from leading brands and merchants. Examples shared in the press release include mobile pre-ordering and payment in advance of reaching a destination, as well as automatic activations for “pay-and-go” services at gas stations.

“Our partnership with Synchronoss gives us important new connectivity capabilities to expand the range of features available via our OnStar AtYourService platform that we would not have been able to implement otherwise,” said Mark Lloyd, consumer online officer for OnStar, in the press release. “Using the Synchronoss Integrated Life platform as a foundation, our two companies can deliver more effective and intelligent engagement between physical merchants and our customers and create new and lucrative mobile commerce opportunities, while delivering great value to our drivers.”

“The Synchronoss Integrated Life platform will leverage the power of the cloud to provide the crucial connection between OnStar users in their cars and the merchants and brands that want to reach them,” stated Stephen Waldis, founder, chairman and CEO of Synchronoss, in the release. “The platform’s powerful and scalable data processing and connectivity capabilities will let brands and merchants unlock new value from OnStar subscribers, with targeted interactions, timely and personalized in-car offers and transactions.”