MINI Financial Releasing Web App
The New York Times is reporting that MINI Financial Services will soon release a mobile-optimized web application that allows customers to access their financing. The app won’t be platform specific, such as an iPhone app, but rather a web-based app that is optimized to run on mobile devices such as Android phones, the iPhone and Blackberry.
From the NYT:
Consumers will be able to handle tasks like making payments, checking statements and recent activities and receiving account summaries. The technology was developed internally.
Between this and MINI Connected, it’s clear that MINI is working very had to stay up-to-date and offer their customers the latest in mobile features and convenience in as useful a way as possible. With manufacturers trying more gimmicky approaches (such as Hyundai including an iPad with the owner’s manual on it), MINI seems to be working very hard trying to bring useful technology to bear in the automotive world.
<p>So please explain how including an iPad with the owner’s manual included is ‘gimmicky’.</p>
<p>The CES is loaded with vendors utilizing iPads touting their products.</p>
<p>Why print up a thick manual of information that is rarely read, when you can provide your customers with a value-add like an iPad?</p>
<blockquote> trying more gimmicky approaches (such as Hyundai including an iPad with the owner’s manual on it),</blockquote>
<p>My local dealer was offering an iPad with every MINI purchase. Whatever works :-)</p>
<p>I’ve got my MINI manual installed on an iPad, along with other instructional material. It seems to work far better than toting my MacBook Pro out to the MINI when I have something to do on it.</p>
<p>MatthewW,</p>
<p>Ha! Well good for them. I love the iPad and it’s a great sales incentive. Where BMW/MINI and Hyundai part ways is in developing things you can actually <em>do</em> with that iPad.</p>
p>@Nathaniel</p
<p>I haven’t seen what Hyundai’s doing with the manual on the iPad, but as you know MINI has a ton of media for new MINI owners posted in the Owner’s Lounge. This sort of stuff is ideal for viewing on the iPad.</p>
<p>I suspect that we’ll MINI moving content in that direction very soon. In fact, I could see an app being built around each specific MINI model with all this content within the app.</p>
<p>BMW already has an X3 app, which I DL’d early in December 2010, but haven’t checked it out yet. Could be fantastic, not sure.</p>
<p>…speaking of apps, MINI Link was just updated to include the MINI Countryman:</p>
<p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mini-link/id344238915?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="nofollow ugc">http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mini-link/id344238915?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4</a></p>
<p>MINI has a dedicated iPad video app as well. It’s pretty good. The content is from all over the world.</p>
p>@nathaniel,</p
<p>MINI TV is decent, yes. Motoringfile didn’t cover it, but the MINI Getaway Stockholm app and contest was, imho, the best app-related marketing i’ve seen to date:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.minigetawaystockholm.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.minigetawaystockholm.com/</a></p>