BMW is, without a doubt, one of the leading manufacturers in its segment.. Vehicles that have the know-how of German engineering applied to the engine with a layer of exclusivity and extras that give it its touch and its particular personality. I admit that it is not my first choice, personally I prefer Audi’s design and front-wheel drive, but I perfectly understand the customers of this brand, because except for some specific design flaws (such as the timing chain in some X3 series), all The experiences of using BMW that have come to me have been very positive.
I say this because I do not want it to be thought that I feel any animosity towards this brand, and that this criticism refers exclusively to something that I would say I do not understand, but that in reality I understand too well, and that I am sure that the same thing will happen to you. same. And it is something that, furthermore, we have been seeing for some time in the world of software, and that for a long time now I think it is a huge tease. I speak, of course, of the transition from software to service.
Eye, here comes another clarification. I believe that there are products that have evolved from software to service and have done very well. An example, in my opinion, is Microsoft 360, which offers an annual subscription to Microsoft Office (app and web version) truffled with other additional elements, such as online storage in OneDrive. Personally, I’ve been a subscriber to Microsoft’s service for a few years now, as well as some others that seem like a good option to me.
The problem, what seems like a joke to me, is that the number of companies that think that all you have to do to transform a software application into a service is to charge for its use, either monthly or annually, instead of offering it for a single payment and, of course, without offering any added value that justifies periodic payments. If an application doesn’t include online services and doesn’t include free, automatic updates to newer major versions, selling it as a service is a joke, a greedy and regrettable move.
And it happens that, as we can read in The Verge, BMW would have decided to play that same card, charging as a service some functions of its cars that, traditionally and logically, were sold as extras and, obviously, we could use without limitations until the retirement of the car. And specifically, the case mentioned in said article seems paradigmatic to me, since it says that BMW has started offering an $18 per month charging model for using the heated seats feature..
It is true that other pricing models are offered, such as $180 per year, $300 for three years or what they call unlimited access (whose possible limitations should be checked), for $415. And I can’t help but wonder what’s the point of this model, what’s the point, beyond greed, of trying to charge $18 a month to make use of a feature already included in the vehicle (and therefore endorsed in the price). of it, I doubt that BMW will go “at risk” in this sense).
No matter how much you think about it, and no matter how well you want to think, I am unable to find an explanation that does not include greed. I understand that functions such as maps are offered as services, as long as this includes their constant updating, real-time traffic information, etc. But seat heating? In service mode with a monthly payment? And what will be next? Subscription to the tires, to the steering wheel, to the indicators, to being able to roll the windows up and down? That said, a tease that I hope does not permeate the sector and we will see, soon, in other manufacturers.
