OREANDA-NEWS. Long car trips are about to become more entertaining for families. The new myKIDIO app from BurdaNews and Telekom offers adults and children audio books and videos. The new offer particularly caters to the interests of children between the age of three and thirteen. The entertainment program is available for smartphones and tablets as well as in BMW cars via BMW ConnectedDrive.

Entertainment for on-the-go and at home
The app gives families access to high-quality audio books, audio dramas, films and TV shows, all carefully selected by the staff of TV Spielfilm, a BurdaNews company. The app only offers content that is appropriate to the respective age group. Burkhard Gra?mann, CEO of BurdaNews, emphasizes, "We are bringing our digital and journalistic expertise to this new venture so that we can offer families with children attractive, educational entertainment options." BurdaNews will be in charge of marketing and customer relationships for myKIDIO. Deutsche Telekom will handle the app's functionality, operate the platform and advance the technology for use in the car.

Smart way to spend time in the back seat
myKIDIO users can use BMW ConnectedDrive in BMW cars to enjoy the audio books and videos. Telekom developed a way to integrate apps into the car's infotainment system. If the children are running the myKIDIO app on their smartphone or tablet, for example, parents can control the app on their children's device through BMW ConnectedDrive. The advantage of this new type of operation is that the entertainment program can be used easily and safely while driving. "Parents can keep an eye on what media their children are using on their devices, they can start new shows or interrupt the playback," emphasizes Alexander Lautz, Head of the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) business unit at Deutsche Telekom. One special feature in BMW cars is a trip monitor made for children that wirelessly transmits information about the trip to the app. The so called “BMW Kids Cockpit”, which reminds of the in-flight monitor in airplanes, tells children how long the trip will take, the current speed and the amount of remaining gas.

Using mobile broadband in the car
By integrating the app into the car's infotainment system, Telekom reveals new ways to use mobile broadband on the road. The app offers streaming, but can be used offline as well. Once users switch on the myKIDIO channel in the WiFi network, new content is automatically downloaded in the background. That way there is always enough entertainment content, even for spontaneous trips.
Customers will be able to download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play as of April 2015. Interested customers can either take out a monthly subscription to the myKIDIO app for EUR 8.99 or purchase a two-week pass for EUR 5.99. They can use their user account to sign on to the app for up to three devices at the same time. Content comes from providers such as Kiddinx, Sony Music, der H?rverlag, Silberfisch, cbj audio, Wellenreiter, L?bbe Audio, Baumhaus, Argon, Highscore, Cocomico, ZDF Enterprises and the RC Release Company with a selection of programs from WDR mediagroup, Bavaria Media, rbb media, ICESTORM Entertainment/DEFA and Morefilms.

Visitors to the Mobile World Congress can experience the myKIDIO app live in a BMW Series 2 Active Tourer at the Deutsche Telekom stand.

About Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with over 142 million mobile customers, 31 million fixed-network lines and more than 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2013). The Group provides fixed network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has approximately 229,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 60,1 billion in the 2013 financial year - more than half of it outside Germany.