Photo: General Motors
General Motors and Amazon have announced plans to launch OnStar Guardian for Amazon Alexa, which in turn will provide users with a voice-enabled connection to Emergency-Certified OnStar Advisors at home through Alexa-compatible devices.
In case of an emergency, household members can use their in-home Alexa devices to reach said advisors by saying “Alexa, call for help,” during crisis situations like a house fire, medical emergencies, potential break-ins and more.
The OnStar Guardian skill for Amazon Alexa will be available at first just for select OnStar members, although GM does plan on broadly rolling out the service at the beginning of next year. What you’ll need, of course, is an in-home Alexa-enabled device, such as an Echo, Echo Dot or the Echo Show.
“Through our collaboration with Amazon, people can now have access to OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors in a place where they spend so much of their time – their home,” said GM exec Pam Fletcher. “This is another great example of how we’re expanding the safety and security of OnStar beyond the vehicle to help more people, which demonstrates GM’s commitment to its growth strategy and innovating its software enabled services.”
Meanwhile, Amazon Alexa exec, Beatrice Geoffrin, is equally excited about working with General Motors on this project, saying that this hands-free Alexa skill “makes it easy for customers to get help from OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors when they need it. We hope this feature helps give families greater peace of mind throughout their day-to-day lives at home.”
In terms of its in-vehicle applications, OnStar Guardian recently became available to customers without a GM vehicle (as long as they access the app using a compatible Apple or Android device). If you don’t have a GM vehicle, you can use a standalone subscription plan which is available to anyone living in the United States and Canada.
The OnStar Guardian skill for Amazon Alexa will be available at first just for select OnStar members, although GM does plan on broadly rolling out the service at the beginning of next year. What you’ll need, of course, is an in-home Alexa-enabled device, such as an Echo, Echo Dot or the Echo Show.
“Through our collaboration with Amazon, people can now have access to OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors in a place where they spend so much of their time – their home,” said GM exec Pam Fletcher. “This is another great example of how we’re expanding the safety and security of OnStar beyond the vehicle to help more people, which demonstrates GM’s commitment to its growth strategy and innovating its software enabled services.”
Meanwhile, Amazon Alexa exec, Beatrice Geoffrin, is equally excited about working with General Motors on this project, saying that this hands-free Alexa skill “makes it easy for customers to get help from OnStar’s Emergency-Certified Advisors when they need it. We hope this feature helps give families greater peace of mind throughout their day-to-day lives at home.”
In terms of its in-vehicle applications, OnStar Guardian recently became available to customers without a GM vehicle (as long as they access the app using a compatible Apple or Android device). If you don’t have a GM vehicle, you can use a standalone subscription plan which is available to anyone living in the United States and Canada.
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