Viper SmartStart STILL MISSING from Store after Promise & Demo at 2011 BUILD

[q21701]

Directed Electronics, the company that owns and manufactures the Viper Auto Security systems has this great little plugin for their systems called SmartStart. If you're not familiar with it, you can go to Viper - SmartStart to check it out.


Basically, it allows you to remote start, lock, unlock, pop your trunk, track your car's GPS location and, get various vehicle status using your smart phone. At the 2011 Microsoft Build conference, Directed Electronics debuted the Windows Phone 7 version of their SmartStart application (the app doesn't come in until toward the end of the video below) as well as some coming advanced features. There was also a press release in September of the same year discussing how excited the company was to be making an app for Windows Phone.

It's almost a year and a half later and the app has never been published in the store. What happened? Am I the only one who has been holding off on their purchase because of the lack of a Windows Phone app? Anyone ever hear anything from Viper or Directed Electronics? Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I was pretty excited by the features shown in the video. (Not to mention ready to buy, once I tried out my friends SmartStart installation on his car w/his Android phone). But, I'm not going to change ecosystems for this product.

 

[ndskurfer]

I'm holding off on the purchase of a windows phone and the viper smartstart module till this app is available. I'm hoping to upgrade my dumb phone once this app is available.

 

[Kola Adekanmbi]

I will like to have this app as well. Any info Viper?

 

[Alex Kj]

Eh, they probably decided it was not worth the effort to provide and support the app on WP... Same thing is true for BMW's own app or Mercedes' similar app (these apps can also do things like unlocking/locking the car, finding it on map, etc.). Anyway, it's better to ask the company itself, posting about it on WP forums won't really achieve anything ;-)

 

[inteller]

I swear most of these devs mock up an app just so they can get a free pass to BUILD or maybe some up from MS payola. That is really the appearance a lot of these apps have. One release with maybe one update and then that's it.

 

[cha0sman]

I actually emailed Directed to find out what the heck is going on. I am a current subscriber for the Viper SmartStart..I received a reply today saying that they are "still working with Microsoft to release a client onto the windows phone os" I might as well just use my python webapp to communicate with the directed servers....

 

[cromedawg]

I got the Viper SmartStart a month ago, but I am in hopes of the app coming to Windows Phone. It would be nice if the app is released soon. In most cases I can just use my remote starter remote with one mile range. There are times when I am out of range simply because of the building infrastructure. I installed BlueStacks on my computer to run the android Viper SmartStart app. It works great, but what are the chances of always having a laptop or wifi. It kind of defeats the purpose.

 

[q21701]

Check out this reply from Viper Smart Start. Looks like their app for windows phone is about to be released. FINALLY!

https://twitter.com/ViperSmartStart/status/347722114377334787

VIPER‏@ViperSmartStart
@q21701 The Windows app was just approved by Microsoft. It should be available very soon.