[Exclusive] Genie Music Partners with Benz to Integrate Service... Boosting KT's 'Connected Car' Momentum

New Mercedes-Benz S-Class and C-Class, Luxury Electric EQS Equipped with Genie Music
In Talks with Bentley... KT's 'Connected Car' Business Expands Significantly

Screenshot of the official Mercedes-Benz website

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] From now on, you will be able to listen to Genie Music in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Genie Music, a subsidiary of KT, has recently confirmed a partnership with Mercedes-Benz to equip the 'Genie Music streaming service.'

According to industry sources on the 17th, Genie Music will be installed in the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, C-Class, and luxury electric sedan EQS. Mercedes-Benz stated on its official website, "Our infotainment system MBUX will provide perfect Apple Music integration," adding, "This service offers online music through the infotainment systems of the new S-Class, C-Class, and luxury electric sedan EQS." It further explained, "Passengers can access over 75 million songs on Apple Music, thousands of curated playlists, and Apple’s live streaming radio broadcasts. With Apple Music added to the MBUX infotainment system, Mercedes-Benz owners can conveniently use music streaming services including Spotify, Amazon Music, and TIDAL. In particular, Korean owners can additionally use Genie Music, and Chinese owners can use QQ Music." Regarding this, KT confirmed, "It is true that we have partnered with Mercedes-Benz," but added, "However, the specifics of how the service will be implemented have not been decided, so we cannot provide further details."

The EQS equipped with Genie Music this time is characterized by enhanced completeness through the application of the latest technologies such as batteries, displays, semiconductors, and software made by domestic companies. In April, Sajjad Khan, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and board member of Mercedes-Benz AG, unveiled the S-Class level electric vehicle EQS, stating, "We are collaborating with battery companies from SK and LG, and utilizing cutting-edge display technology from LG and Samsung," and "We worked with Korea’s Navis on navigation software implementation, and although it is not yet the stage to disclose, we are preparing new digital services with KT," hinting at the possibility of equipping the Genie Music service. The EQS is scheduled to be released domestically in the second half of this year.

KT plans to continue various connected car (vehicles integrated with communication technology) services with Mercedes-Benz. Earlier in February, KT and Mercedes-Benz Korea launched an O2O (Online to Offline) service for the ‘Mercedes me Care’ app. Mercedes me Care is a mobile membership program providing vehicle-related and lifestyle services, officially launched in Korea as the first global Mercedes-Benz service. KT built the O2O platform for this app. The two companies, in partnership with related partners, provide services such as ▲car wash reservations ▲chauffeur calls ▲daily driver reservations ▲golf reservations ▲restaurant reservations, and plan to add various services in the future. A KT official said, "Since 2017, KT has collaborated with Mercedes-Benz to provide various convenience solutions," and added, "As a digital platform company, KT will actively support the expansion of Mercedes-Benz’s services through this additional cooperation."

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Genie Music is also in talks to be equipped in Bentley vehicles. Accordingly, KT’s connected car business is expected to expand significantly through collaborations with global automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai Motor Company, Renault Samsung, and Bentley.