GM, Amazon Roll out OnStar Guardian Skill for Amazon Alexa

General Motors (GM) and Amazon on Wednesday (Sept. 22) introduced the OnStar Guardian skill for Amazon smart devices, giving users a voice-enabled connection to emergency-certified OnStar Advisors through Alexa-enabled technology at home.

The OnStar Guardian skill is part of the OnStar Guardian platform, which is focused on ubiquitous safety. Users can enable the OnStar Guardian skill for Amazon Alexa and reach emergency-certified advisors by saying, “Alexa, call for help” during an emergency such as a house fire, medical event or break-in.

“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 Pam Fletcher, vice president of GM global innovation, in the joint announcement. “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.”

The OnStar Guardian skill for Amazon Alexa will be available to select OnStar members initially, with plans to roll out the service across the U.S. with compatible, in-home Alexa-enabled devices — including Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show — on a wide scale next year.

“We’re excited to work with General Motors to introduce the OnStar Guardian skill to customers,” said Beatrice Geoffrin, director of Amazon Alexa, in the joint announcement. “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.”

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PYMNTS research has shown that connected consumers who have grown accustomed to interacting with devices in their homes and offices now expect the same level of service while in their cars and trucks. The average commuter owns about 80% more connected devices than non-commuters.