iPhone App Replaces Car Keys

September 6, 2010 10:31 AM EDT

Did I remember to lock the car?

For people who have left their vehicle in unfamiliar territory, it's a question that's likely been asked countless times.

Mercedes Benz and Hughes Telemetics Inc. (HTI) hope to make this a moot point with its mbrace iPhone application. The original app debuted in November and is part of a larger telematics system available on all new Mercedes cars. Mercedes and HTI recently upgraded it to version 2.0.

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"We extended to the iPhone app the ability to remotely lock and unlock your car from anywhere in the world," HTI president Erik Goldman, said.

In the original app, this and other services were all available as long as you were in the car. Now it can be done globally. The app can also provide roadside assistance if the user's car breaks down. While traditional telematics systems can do this, there is one significant advantage with the new app.

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"If the car battery dies, you can't do anything with a traditional telematics system," Goldman said. "Now you have a phone app that will automatically call Mercedes. Even if you don't know where you are, with the GPS in the phone, it will know where you are."

Along with locking and unlocking the car remotely, the new version of the app also uses embedded GPS technology to find nearby entertainment destinations, restaurants and other relevant information. Mercedes is calling this part of the mbrace the "mobile concierge."

While the telematics system and app is currently only available in Mercedes cars, this might not be the case for too much longer. Without getting into specifics, Goldman said HTI is working with other companies to produce a similar system and accompanying app.

Goldman says the iPhone creates a perfect platform to continually upgrade telematics systems.

"With the iPhone, we have a platform to evolve quickly," Goldman said. "Traditionally, upgrading these telematics systems has been a slow evolution. We'll break that cycle and introduce new features every quarter from this point forward."

The basic mbrace package, which comes with the iPhone app, costs $280. The premium version, which comes with the mobile concierge, is $520.

Mercedes did not respond to interview requests.

This article is copyrighted by International Business Times, the business news leader