Navidrive services : Citroën Emergency service, Citroën Local Assistance, Citroën On Line

Citroen offers a  GPS/GSM system that can help the driver in case of emergency (e-call) or breakdown (b-call).
Excerpts from the Citroen website.

NaviDrive

The new generation NaviDrive system is available on the Citroën C8, C5, C3 and C2 (depending on the country).

It offers a number of essential functions:

• a GPS navigation system,
• a GSM dual-band hands-free telephone with access to the address book and audio system (radio and 6-CD stacker).

At the same time, passengers can use the screen or voice synthesis function to read the SMS messages received over the phone .

The main functions can be accessed easily using the steering-wheel controls, which can also be used for the voice recognition and synthesis functions. NaviDrive can be controlled by the user's voice without any preliminary learning time . This feature is very useful for making phone calls, finding your way, or accessing the address book without risk. The system can also be operated directly using the unit built into the dashboard. (The C8 also features a remote control unit in the form of a rosette on the central console)

The functions are displayed on a monochrome or large 16:9 colour screen

NaviDrive was also designed to offer a number of additional customer services.

With its combined GPS and phone functions, it can be used to locate the vehicle in an emergency and to access the services of a call centre. The services available to users are: Citroën Emergency, Citroën Local Assistance, Citroën On line.

         1. Citroën Emergency
On the C8, C5 and C3 equipped with the NaviDrive system, Citroën offers Citroën Emergency, an efficient, high-speed service designed to speed up the response time of the emergency services. In an emergency situation (road accident, assault, etc.) the user simply presses the SOS button to call the 24-hour, 7-day Citroën Emergency hotline.

The vehicle is precisely located using the GPS and, after a rapid assessment of the situation in the vehicle by competent persons (a doctor is on hand to give first aid advice), the Citroën hotline calls out the appropriate emergency services as required (fire brigade, ambulance, police).

This service, provided in partnership with IMA (Inter Mutuelle Assistance) and free of charge for the first year, speeds up the response time of the emergency services and may help to save lives: accident experts agree that the first ten minutes after an accident are vital.

In the event of impact, an emergency call is made automatically, since the Citroën Emergency hotline number is preprogrammed into the system.

           2. Citroën Assistance
By pressing the Citroën logo button for a longer period, the driver is connected to the Citroën Assistance platform. In the event of a breakdown, this option can be used to locate the vehicle using the GPS system so that the repair services can reach the customer as quickly as possible.

           3. Citroën On Line
Citroën offers an on-line advisory service to NaviDrive users. By briefly pressing the Citroën logo button, the driver is connected (via the GSM network) to a call centre that will answer all his questions about Citroën’s in-car telematic products and services. This service is available from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Saturday.

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My opinion:

The services Citroen offers with Navidrive are a great step towards the "smart car".

But will the customers pay for these services? The first year of usage is free: what about the following months? I haven't found any figures describing how customers behave. If you've got some, please let me know!

(de la vraie musique sur http://katalinvarkonyi.over-blog.com)