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GM and IBM Join Hands to Become Your Number One Stalker

Almost all of us know one person who is so afraid of big corporations stealing information about him that he still uses his 1998 Nokia mobile phone and has close to zero presence online.
OnStar Go 1 photo
Photo: GM
They are the modern day hermits, living in virtual isolation from all things social media and preaching to others to do the same. They are so convinced there is a global conspiration that seeks to make the rich even richer by stealing his and the rest of the 99 percenters' money that they always keep a tinfoil hat at hand.

And you know what? They might be right. However, the way to go about it isn't to hide away from your so-called enemy, but to get to know it better, recognize its presence and laugh in its face as you continue to live your life the way they want it. Sorry, I meant the way YOU want it. I don't know what got into me. Where's that hat I had...?

The automotive industry, being so closely related to the tech business, could not have gone untouched. The infotainment systems in our vehicles are becoming an extension of our smartphones, with similar processing power and capabilities. Except for selfies - cars can't do selfies right now.

GM wants to take its OnStar system one step further, and to do that it has stricken a partnership with IBM. The goal is "to provide safer, simpler and better solutions to make our customers’ mobility experience more valuable and productive.” Meet OnStar Go, the new service developed together by the two companies that makes use of IBM's Watson cognitive learning ability.

That's right, a chip inside your future GM car will monitor your preferences and, after you choose to opt-in (very important aspect for those fearing bar codes), it will provide you with suggestions based on what it has learned.

GM has released a list of examples of what one can expect from the OnStar Go based on the first brands that have already joined the platform: ExxonMobil, Glympse, iHeartRadio, Mastercard, and Parkopedia.

ExxonMobil will use the cognitive mobility platform to help drivers quickly locate Exxon and Mobil retail fuel stations, recommend the best fuel and lubricant product for their vehicle, and authorize fuel payment from inside the vehicle. Consumers can even pay for a car wash or, when away from their car, get notified when they are low on fuel.

As a location technology partner in the cognitive mobility platform, Glympse enables consumers and businesses to manage customized real-time location sharing with anyone on any device.

iHeartRadio will use Watson insights from OnStar Go to curate personalized experiences that leverage on-air personalities and local content from radio stations across the U.S. Drivers will be invited to share information from their calendars, social graph, location, music preferences and more, to create dynamic and locally relevant entertainment experiences only available through the power of radio.

Mastercard will enable drivers and passengers to safely make simple, secure and seamless payments for goods and services from the comfort of their cars. By integrating the security of Mastercard tokenization platform -- Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) -- and Masterpass digital payment service within OnStar Go, Mastercard will enable consumers to complete transactions using credit or debit cards stored in their Masterpass wallets.

Parkopedia will provide detailed parking spot information -- including opening hours and up-to-date prices as well as booking and payment capabilities. Drivers find, reserve and pay for parking all at the click of a button

Obviously, GM and IBM will be sharing the revenue created by these advertising contracts, because that's precisely what they are. It's not exactly clear what will happen if, for example, another oil company wishes to access the platform, but we guess GM will deal with that when it gets to it.

Anyway, no matter how you look at it, this does look less like a way to make the lives of GM's clients better, and more like in-car advertising. Which, to be honest, shouldn't surprise us one bit. It's the motoring equivalent of the Internet cookies. But as long as there's an opt-in involved (and, presumably, an opt-out at any time as well), we don't see the harm in it. Some people might like it.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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