The hackers now have to fix what BMW screwed up

BMW wants to increasingly rely on subscriptions for its cars in the future. The Bavarians are not alone with the strategy, but it is currently driving particularly questionable flowers there. It can be 17 euros per month for the seat heating in the luxury sled. The procedure now calls hackers on the scene.

A comment by Felix Gräber

Subscriptions are the future of the automotive industry. Many manufacturers agree on that. There are not only whole vehicles in the subscription, but above all practical, useful or simply pleasant software functions. The car manufacturers prepare their vehicles on the hardware side to be able to run all possible features. But if you don’t pay for it, you have to get by without it. The functions become simple disabled by software.

Seat heating for money: BMW calls hackers into action

BMW also has corresponding offers ready: Customers can have the seat heating activated for 17 euros per month or get a slightly cheaper price if they sign up for one or more years secure warm downsides want. Steering wheel heating or the automatic high-beam assistant can also be activated in this way.

You can think what you want about the strategy. But it should go down well with a group of people, after all it stimulates the “business”: one Group of hackers has been specializing in BMW systems for years and offers its services via online platforms. you have opposite Motherboard (via Vice) stated that corresponding functions could be unlocked if BMW introduced them across the board.

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Developer: Ströer Media Brands GmbH

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I would definitely not like to make a recommendation to use such services here. Despite it curious what flowers BMW plans drive elsewhere. The example shows that customers do not seem to be really convinced of the direction in which the industry is moving.

In addition, BMW and Co. are given a clear indication here: If you rely on such high-tech cars in the future and raise software to a new business model, then professionals will have to get to work. Although the offers of the hackers in this case may be in the interests of many BMW drivers, it leaves a queasy feeling, which apparently does not pose a problem for unauthorized persons who are actually not authorized to make deep interventions in the software.

The color change could also soon be available as a subscription from BMW for an additional charge:

Software as a source of income: Car companies are facing completely new problems

Some people may think that they obviously didn’t want it any other way. Of course that’s not true. BMW even wants exactly the opposite: that customers activate the subscription functions and pay well for it. That opens up completely new sources of income for car manufacturers.

A comparison with Stellantis shows how much can come together. The group, which also owns the German brand Opel, recently reported generating an additional 22.5 billion US dollars through software offerings (source: golem). To protect their new business model, car manufacturers will have to anticipate and prepare for such potential attacks more and more in the future.