Akerson calls on programmers to develop apps
Automaker wants GM store to be as popular as iTunes
By Nathan Bomey Detroit Free Press Business Writers
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson issued a personal invitation to software programmers to develop applications for GM vehicles.
The invitation, delivered Thursday in Boston, one of the nation’s entrepreneurial hot spots, comes as GM is preparing to integrate AT&T’s high-speed wireless Internet into its 2015 model-year vehicles.
The automaker announced earlier this year that it would launch an app store, much like those offered by Apple for its devices and Google for Android-powered devices, for GM vehicles.
Private software developers can now create applications for GM vehicles, although GM must approve the apps before car owners can download them.
“To really blow this out, we need to borrow from the smartphone playbook and entice thousands of ‘codaholics’ to write apps for our cars,” Akerson said at the Chief Executives’ Club of Boston, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. “With an army of coders working to write 4G-optimized programming for our cars, our GM App Shop may someday be as popular as iTunes or the Android Marketplace.”
GM North America President Mark Reuss told the Free Press earlier this year that the automaker could devise a new stream of revenue from the app store, too. Apple, for example, keeps 30% of the revenue from app sales and gives 70% back to app developers.
Akerson said 4G-powered apps would make vehicles more appealing to customers, giving GM a competitive advantage. He said it would also be safe, because users would be less likely to fumble for their smartphone while driving.
About 2,000 developers have signed up to make apps for GM vehicles, Akerson said.
Mary Chan, GM’s top infotainment executive, said last week that the automaker is exploring the possibility of allowing AT&T 4G subscribers to pay one bill for services through their smartphone and vehicle.
“How cool would it be to have your car automatically call Dunkin’ Donuts when you’re a mile away so your coffee and cruller are ready and paid for when you pull up?” Akerson asked. “And wouldn’t your kids love to stream ‘Fast and Furious 6’ into the backseat instead of endlessly watching the same DVD for hours on end? Some of this is possible today. Some is still years off. But all of it will require far more bandwidth and much higher download speeds.”
Contact: Nathan Bomey:
313-223-4743 or nbomey@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @NathanBomey.
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