Wow, it’s been a long time since I wrote my last (first) blog and so much has happened with Blue Eclipse in 2020….the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Indiegogo prelaunch and launch, product and software development and COVID-19-induced delays. If you’ve been following Blue Eclipse, you know that we launched our Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for BluRemote Auto, our first product, in late March. You also know that was right when the COVID business shutdown and shelter-at-home orders were issued. It was immediately apparent that this was having a huge dampening effect on our campaign, which I predicted wouldn’t end within the limited timeframe allowed for a campaign to run, so I made the difficult decision to suspend the campaign and continue working on product and software development until the economy was recovering and consumer confidence returning.
That also meant we couldn’t proceed with our BluRemote beta/pilot hardware build and testing program which would have required us to expend significant resources and for people to meet, travel and interact which was just not possible for months. Not one to sit around doing nothing, I met with my team (virtually, of course) about what we could stay focused on while we waited out the lockdowns. As it turned out, our great software team was able to continue working throughout the lockdowns so we poured most of our effort into getting UI-design, software and machine-learning algorithms ironed out. I also woke up one morning with a clear picture in my mind about how we could still launch our app nearly on schedule with a core set of compelling car care software features to start building a community of users and introduce our products a bit later as app add-ons.
If you recall from my first blog, I’ve focused Blue Eclipse on providing ways for vehicle owners to get the most satisfaction and enjoyment out of their vehicles. I’m a firm believer that you should get the right kind of expert advice at every step of your ownership experience to remind you to do the right preventative steps to minimize unexpected problems, have all information about your vehicle at your fingertips, enhance your driving experience, get good recommendations for how to address anything not working correctly (either by yourself or someone who will do it for you) and connect with others who may be able to enhance your vehicle experience. This means universal solutions, ease-of-use, beneficial features and, ultimately, value.
Vehicle ownership and maintenance represents one of the largest expenses for many people. They can be costly to purchase and maintain, last a long time and require expertise to keep them in top condition for maximum satisfaction and resale value. Many owners, especially first-time ones, have minimal knowledge about care and maintenance and will seek the advice of experts who will provide an answer or a product or service recommendation. In my decades of experience in this area and as a self-professed “go-to” guy for family and friends over the years, I’ve acquired a lot of knowledge about how to care for and maintain vehicles. I’m baking that experience into our Blue Eclipse app which will debut with an initial set of smart assist features, called BluCare, centered on answering many of those questions which vehicle owners have. I also intend to add many more useful features in the future, including listening to the feedback from our app users.
Below are the initial set of BluCare features which will be part of the initial release into the app stores for iOS and Android:
★ BluCare Features ★
* Multiple vehicle support
* Automatic vehicle detection
* Automatic parking location and return-to-vehicle navigation
* Automatic trip tracking by vehicle and categorizing for personal or business
* Service record tracking and receipts storage
* Driving expense tracking by category and receipts storage
* Vehicle odometer tracking for records and maintenance notifications
* Insurance card for quick reference
* Automatic VIN scanning for vehicle identification and quick setup
* Video tutorials specific to your vehicle on almost any topic
These are just our introductory set of features. I have a long list of additional features planned for rollout in the months following our launch which are intended to further enhance all of the vehicle information which you can have right at your fingertips. I also plan for our app to provide ways to connect with others with similar vehicle interests or the ability to assist with problem solving.
Even more exciting will be when we introduce our first of multiple products later this year which you can quickly install in your vehicle and which will work with the Blue Eclipse app. Our first product will be BluRemote Auto, a universal vehicle access and convenience feature which will enable you to upgrade your vehicle access, tracking and remote starting (if equipped) capabilities with multiple state-of-the-art ways of control to make your vehicle a part of the Internet-of-Things (IoT). Voice control, app control, scheduled activities and even linking to other services like “deliver-to-car” are all going to be possible.
I hope you’re even a little bit as excited as I am about getting these apps and products to market to help make almost anyone’s vehicle ownership experience more rewarding. Stay tuned for more developments, blogs and our app and product release information.
All the Best!
Craig