AAA has rolled out two new services that help consumers with roadside assistance and offer enhanced travel information for smartphone users.

The organization partnered with Sprint to provide its members a new service, AAA FindMe, which lets any AAA member who is a Sprint subscriber with a smartphone have her GPS location transmitted to roadside assistance. In addition, the company enhanced its mobile site that provides travel information to members via their handsets.

?These services are just part of AAA?s overall wireless and telematics strategy,? said Christie Hyde, spokeswoman at AAA, Heathrow, FL.

?By making AAA?s unique content and differentiated services directly accessible via wireless devices, AAA members will realize even greater value and savings, and those who are not yet members will have the opportunity see how AAA membership could benefit them,? she said.

AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services.

Mobile vehicle assistance
AAA members who subscribe to Sprint must opt-in to the AAA FindMe service in advance.

Subscribing to the service is free of charge and does not require any downloads or added services to the mobile phone.

Additionally, the company?s enhanced mobile site has been redesigned, enhanced and relaunched.
The mobile site is compatible with any smartphone device.

The new site features include AAA TourBook and CampBook content search, approved auto repair shop locator, AAA Show Your Card & Save discounts locations, AAA and CAA branch office finder, information to join AAA and request roadside assistance, driving directions with routing maps and a downloadable desktop icon for BlackBerry users.

The company?s mobile site is accessible at http://aaa.mobi.

?AAA recognizes that those in various market segments may wish to interact with AAA in different ways,? Ms. Hyde said. ?AAA member benefits such as roadside assistance, discounts and travel content have very significant value to all members, but especially those who are on-the-go. 

?Providing ready-access to these services and content through devices that users have with them further increases the value of AAA membership.? 

On-the-go mobile
In addition to its mobile site, AAA also has an iPhone application that helps stranded drivers by sending information directly to the company?s assistance dispatch.

Users have the option to place a voice call, and once the request is submitted, the AAA member receives a confirmation that the information was received (see story).

?Mobile provides endless opportunities to provide access to services and content when, where and how users require it, and in forms that maximize relevance and value,? Ms. Hyde said. ?For AAA, mobile will make AAA membership even more valuable than it already is, and provides new opportunities to expose non-members to the value of AAA membership.

?AAA will continue to grow its suite of mobile offerings with new applications and services and with availability on more platforms,? she said.