Mercedes-Benz USA and Hughes Telematics, Inc. have reportedly launched mbrace, a telematics solution that is expected to offer optimum connectivity to Mercedes-Benz drivers, who can also customize their in-vehicle experiences according to daily needs.

Hughes (News - Alert) Telematics, or HTI, will be powering mbrace, which will be made available on all new Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in the US by authorized dealers. mbrace will be replacing Tele Aid, the previously-installed telematics system. Company sources also added that Mercedes-Benz owners using Tele Aid will be eligible to upgrade to the new mbrace system.

“When we first launched our Telematics platform it contained features many vehicles still lack today, and now we want to take our offering to the next level,” said Sascha Simon, director of advanced product planning, MBUSA, in a release.

“With mbrace, we begin the introduction of a whole new generation of innovative and personalized services that fit our drivers’ mobile lifestyles, keeping them connected to the people, places and services that are important to them and offering them enhanced safety, security and navigation options. Most importantly, the flexibility of Hughes Telematics’ architecture will also allow us to continually add new features and innovations that will keep Mercedes-Benz on the forefront of in-vehicle services,” added Simon.

Drivers of the MB vehicles will benefit from the “connected services” as they can easily connect with their vehicles using their iPhone (News - Alert) or BlackBerry. They can remotely lock, unlock their vehicles and locate their vehicles in crowded parking lots or on city streets through a map representation on their smart phones.

In the release, Erik Goldman, president of HTI, said he was pleased that Hughes Telematics was working with Mercedes-Benz for the provision of next generation connected services to customers. The platform on which mbrace is built is highly flexible which allows Mercedes-Benz to continuously innovate with new services and features, he noted.

The mbrace system incorporates 18 features which are aggregated into different categories such as safety & security, navigation & destination planning and convenience. These services can be accessed easily from within the vehicle or from any computer via a personalized Web portal, said Telematics sources.

The safety and security features include automatic collision notification, emergency calling, safe ride and roadside assistance connection. The navigation services include a search and send feature. Other conveniences features are remote door unlock and lock, vehicle finder via mobile application and dealer connect.

mbrace PLUS is a premium service which will include location-based weather, location-based traffic, point-of-interest destination download and “Mercedes-Benz Concierge” which acts like a hotel concierge making restaurant reservations, locating stores and services, cash wire assistance and others.