May has seen General Motors’ in-vehicle safety, security and communication service brand OnStar cross two milestones in China. First, the company’s subscriber base in China hit the 450,000 mark, and then requests for Turn-by-Turn Navigation accumulated to 13.8 million.

The service was first introduced in October 2009, following which it received certification from China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping in 2011. This gave Shanghai OnStar the honor of becoming the first telematics joint venture given the permission to offer mapping services in China.

Shanghai OnStar is currently authorized to provide map searches, location-based services, geographic mapping, and map download and delivery. The two options that are given to users for navigation purposes are ODD (OnStar Destination Download) and POI (Point of Interest).

Currently, Shanghai OnStar is striving to develop services that will enrich the driving experience even more. These services include greater navigation path choices and real-time traffic information. The goodies that can be expected from the company in the time to come include more points of interest, better voice navigation, hands-free queries for traffic information, and real-time traffic amongst others.

When Shanghai OnStar first introduced a mobile app in 2011 that integrates Turn-by-Turn Navigation, it became the first telematics company in China to do so. The service which is automatically loaded when the engine is started allows users to search for a destination and also remotely controls vehicle systems from a cell phone. To ensure accuracy of navigation, OnStar updates its maps every three months.