For years, I have enlisted the service of OnStar, the nation's leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communications services and I am constantly touting its benefits to friends, family and anyone else that should mutter the "blue button" name. I revel my ability to arrive at destinations without fear of becoming lost, in being able to make last minute table reservations for dinner, to unlock my car during those countless instances where I went through the routine of exiting without thinking to gather my keys but most of all for always having a guardian angel driving in the car with me. Invisible and silent throughout life's every day journeys but there to rescue me in case of emergency, to soothe my fears and to deliver help when I am unable to help myself.

Recently OnStar unveiled its newly designed Command Center, covering 12 floors of GM's Global Headquarters at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. A handful of local journalists were invited for a behind-the-scenes tour. Well, it felt like I had just found a Golden Ticket and was about to receive the grand tour of OnStar's "Chocolate Factory". The Command Center is a mission-critical part of OnStar operations and the nerve center for OnStar service to its subscribers. It serves as the central location of OnStar call center operations and is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

OnStar Command Center the Communication Hub for All Call Center Operations and Critical Information

On the morning of the tour, all the attending journalists milled about in a conference room sipping coffee and discussing the OnStar service. I stole peeks here and there trying to spot a member of the never-resting OnStar team. In my mind, they were much like the Oompla-Loompahs of Mr. Wonka's factory working diligently towards a common goal, in this case, subscriber safety, security and assistance. The Command Center and its staff monitor and direct the activities of their 3 national call centers in Michigan, North Carolina and Toronto which house the 2,000 OnStar Advisors. The Command Center staff also oversees subscriber volume, call routing, national and local weather, and various other emergency conditions.

Without much notice, an eager silence fell over the conference room and there he stood, Chet Huber, President of OnStar. He may have been missing the purple top hat and cane of Willy Wonka but he had an equal amount of mystique and lure. As President of OnStar Corporation, Chet Huber has taken this wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors on a joy ride to the cutting edge of wireless technology. In the process, he's ignited an entirely new industry in providing drivers with in-vehicle safety, security, information and communication services unlike anything that's ever hit the road.

With little shoving or bickering, Mr. Huber opened the "gates" to the Command Center and the tour meandered towards our first stop, the Brand Demonstration Room. I was unsure of what to expect upon stepping foot into this space and eagerly glanced around as I moved towards a cushiony leather armchair. Once seated, Mr. Wonka, er, Huber enlightened us on how the space is used to provide valuable call center training for OnStar employees and enables operations personnel to evaluate call center advisor performance for quality assurance purposes. The Brand Demonstration Room also offers a unique experience in which a visitor can communicate with an OnStar advisor while seated in an actual driver's seat complete with an OnStar three-button mirror equipped with the new Gen 6.1 system. After the initial demonstration, the journalists took turns sitting in the demo seat and experienced, first hand, how the OnStar system works. Whether we placed a phone call through OnStar's Personal Calling system, performed remote vehicle diagnostics based on vehicle warning lights, located a hospital, or requested road side assistance the OnStar system quickly and efficiently handled our requests.

Our next stop on the tour landed us outside the main control room. Four large wall-mounted screens displayed information related to subscriber call volume, national and local weather, and OnStar system and network health. This center serves to assist the Command Center staff in monitoring incoming call volumes, the routing of calls to the call centers based on subscriber volume demands and staffing availability. Additionally, the staff monitors weather and other emergency conditions throughout North America to provide real-time data to call center staff, which can then help in assisting subscribers concerning current conditions and alternative routing in the time of need. Aside from meeting the needs of OnStar subscribers, the Command Center analysts monitor IT applications and network health to ensure all systems are working properly and links IT staff, call center management and OnStar performance management personnel.

The final stop on our tour was the OnStar Sound Studio, a fully digital audio studio similar to a terrestrial or satellite radio studio. The studio will enable OnStar and GM to support a variety of communication initiatives through audio content and program development. Examples include: radio media tours, internal communications initiatives, creation of audio news releases, opening the studio to guest DJs for remote broadcasts, creation of voice content for Customer Relations Management programs, and creation of programs for re-broadcast on XM Satellite Radio and on terrestrial radio programs. I was relieved that no one attempted to gain access to the studio in order to transmit themselves through sound waves to the Brand Demonstration Room.

At the conclusion of the tour and with all the journalists in attendance and still intact, we gathered around awaiting further insight into the majesty that is OnStar. "Our focus has always been on the customer," said Huber. "The development of enhanced services that benefit our subscribers and the creation of our new Command Center is a natural extension of our commitment to providing the safety and security that they expect and deserve." The new Command Center represents OnStar's ongoing commitment to the safety and security of communities throughout North America in which its subscribers live and work. Much like in "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory", all the attendees journalists left with something never-ending, knowledge and belief in OnStar's commitment to subscriber safety, security and assistance. I'll take that over a sugary concoction any day!

For more information visit www.onstar.com

About OnStar
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the nation’s leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and information services using the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network and wireless technology. OnStar is available on more than 50 GM models for 2004. OnStar safety and security services include automatic notification of air bag deployment, stolen vehicle location assistance, emergency services, roadside assistance, remote door unlock, GM Goodwrench remote vehicle diagnostics, and OnStar online concierge. OnStar Personal Calling allows drivers to make and receive hands-free, voice-activated calls. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.