During my test calls, I was able to use both of the iPad 2’s cameras (one front, one back) which allowed me to show the other party what I was looking at during the call.

Skype supports multitasking on the iPad and users will receive Skype notifications if they are in other apps.

Users can conduct video calls with Skype users on Android, Mac, and Windows platforms as well as on Skype-enabled HDTVs.  There is no charge for the call and instant messaging is supported during video calls.  Only two parties can be in a call, unlike other Skype for Windows and Mac, both of which support a total of 10 parties on a video call.

Contacts are displayed on large tiles with avatar photos where available but there is no option for smaller tiles, which would be useful for large contact lists.

The Skype for iPad app supports normal Skype calling, including Skype-to-Skype calls which are free and calls to mobile and landline phones at low rates.  Users can send other users an SMS text message as well.

Skype for iPad works on both 3G and Wi-Fi networks and is a great step forward in allowing greater mobility for video.

The Samson Meteor Mic is a good looking, high-quality studio microphone that connects to your computer via USB. In appearance, it looks like it’s straight out of a 1950s radio or TV studio.

Setup, well there is no setup. There are no drivers to install and it works instantly on Windows, OS X, and iOS devices. I was up and running on my ThinkPad X301 in just a few seconds.

You can use this to create podcasts as well as with services such as Skype. It has a built-in stereo 1/8-inch headphone jack that provides no-latency monitoring, a built-in windscreen, and a nicely-integrated mute button/volume control with a built-in three-color LED that shows power (blue), mute (amber), and input signal clipping (red).

A built-in tripod unfolds for desktop use but the mic also has a standard 5/8” thread mount so you can attach it to a microphone stand.

The mic itself uses a one-inch (25 mm) diaphragm with a unidirectional cardioid polar pattern (so named because the sensitivity pattern is heart-shaped) that did an excellent job of picking up my voice without any background noise whatsoever.

The mic itself is only 1.92 x 3.9 inches (49 x 100 mm) and weighs only 9.3 ounces (263 g), making it suitable for travel as well (it comes with a soft pouch for this purpose).

I used the Meteor Mic to record audio for the book trailer for Overload! How Too Much Information is Hazardous To Your Organization, my book that’s coming out on May 31. Quality was excellent using the Windows 7 Sound Recorder app.

$99 at amazon.com

Skype for iPhone allows users to place free Skype-to-Skype calls when connected to Wi-Fi anywhere in the world.  To reach non-Skype users at rates that are typically a few cents per minute is just as easy.  The sound quality of the call was crystal clear for me but those I was speaking to reported that I sounded a bit distant.

Skype instant messaging is available on all supported connections (Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, or EDGE) to both individuals and groups. Users can also edit contacts and set their presence status.

Visit www.skype.com and the Apple App Store on supported devices

–David Goldes is a Contributing Editor at Executive Road Warrior and President and Senior Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

Skype Pro
Skype Pro is a relatively new offering that costs only $3 per month but offers many features particularly useful to the road warrior.  Most notable is the international traveler calling plan.  Users pay no per minute charges for calls to landlines within the same country or region (a connection fee per call, $0.045, may apply).  Coverage includes 28 countries, all of the ones I visited (Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands) with the exception of Denmark.  In some countries, including Argentina and France, only certain major metropolitan areas are included.

With Skype Pro you also get a $30/year discount on a SkypeIn number, a free Skype To Go number (you can make international calls from your mobile phone at SkypeOut rates), and free Skype voicemail.

Research in Motion and Verizon Wireless: BlackBerry 8830 World Edition
I also tested Research in Motion’s BlackBerry 8830 World Edition CDMA/GSM.  Part of RIM’s 8800 series of phones, all of which share a full QWERTY keyboard, the pearl-like trackball for navigation, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a built-in speakerphone.  The 8830 supports dual-band 800/1900 MHz CDM-2000 1x EV-DO as well as dual-band 900/1800 MHz GSM/GPRS.

For Verizon Wireless customers who travel internationally, this makes it very easy to have a single number that works almost anywhere, something ordinarily not possible with most Verizon Wireless phones, which work only with CDMA networks.  The phone itself, however, was not that easy to use.  I found the keyboard, both for typing and for dialing, not nearly as user-friendly (in terms of not hitting the wrong key) as the smaller format Pearl, which given its quasi-QWERTY keyboard uses RIM’s SureType technology to allow users to compose messages quickly.  The centered dialpad was much easier to use on the Pearl than the 8830’s keyboard, which is not centered.  The 8830 also frequently refused access to the + key, necessary for dialing country codes.  Normally one presses down zero for a few moments and + comes up.  With the 8830, the + only worked occasionally and I had to resort to saving the + and using the paste function in order to dial calls.

These issues not withstanding, Web browsing, BlackBerry e-mail, and placing and receiving phone calls all worked perfectly.

Hotels
I visited multiple hotels and wanted to pass along a few observations important to the business traveler.

1.)    Hilton am Tucherpark, Munich, Germany
Internet worked well.  Rooms were comfortable to work in.  Location was a bit out of the way but on the other hand it was alongside the English Garten.

2.)    Mandarin Oriental, Munich, Germany
Couldn’t ask for a better location, within the heart of the Altstadt and close by to practically everything.  The rooms were recently refurbished and provided a comfortable work environment, although a more appropriate desk chair would have been icing on the cake.  Good Internet service.  Very personalized services, for example check-in formalities are done in the room.  Guests are always addressed by name.  Restaurant Mark’s is one of the top restaurants in the city and deservedly so.  It was too cold to really enjoy the roof-top pool but the views from the pool deck were magnificent.

3.)    Hilton am Stadtpark, Vienna, Austria
Excellent location across the street from the Stadtpark, Executive floor lounge had two free computers but they were always in use.  Internet was slow.  Reading lights for in-bed reading were weak.

4.)    Holiday Inn, Munich – Schwabing, Germany
Recently renovated rooms and lobby, plus a wonderful breakfast buffet.  Not overly luxurious but very comfortable.  New business center is a nice touch with a sufficient number of computers to accommodate most comers.  Internet service through Swisscom offered business-level service with quality-of-service guarantee (no questions asked).  I found the service slow and told them.  I was immediately offered a credit.

5.)    Fairmont Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg, Germany
Located on the western side of the Binnenalster lake, an impressive location to say the least, the Vier Jahreszeiten is also in the heart of the business district and its cafés, bars, and restaurants attract a local crowd in addition to visitors.  Hamburg, a city of merchants, is a bustling port on the edge of Scandinavia, with never-ending river traffic along the Elbe.  I noticed many Hamburgers came to afternoon tea, which featured live piano music.  Rooms are equipped with antique furniture, Wi-Fi that was usually OK but sometimes slow, comfortable work environment, and incredible views of the Binnenalster (the Alster is divided into the Binnenalster and the Außenalster, inner and outer Alster, respectively).

6.)    Die Swaene, Brugge, Belgium

The first thing I noticed about Brugge were the town’s narrow streets (on which local residents drove very quickly), centuries-old buildings that time had left untouched, and the city’s canal systems.  Brugge was, in the 14th and 15th centuries, a cultural bridge between northern and southern Europe.  It was rediscovered by English tourists in the mid-1800s who had come to see the nearby battlefield of Waterloo.  Today, it is a hideaway for business meetings and romantic journeys.  Die Swaene, a beautiful small luxury hotel run more like an inn, is a wonderful setting to meet but perhaps not to work in if you require Internet access.  Since my stay was largely during a weekend and in addition to my meeting my plans were mostly to see the city, I didn’t live or die by Internet access but it was limited to the lobby and first floor salon and never wo

rked in the salon and worked only part of the time in the lobby.  When asked, one of the managers smiled and said that it must be “something in the air.”

7.)    Park-Hotel Bremen, Germany
Located in the middle of the Bürgerpark, my stay there was brief (arrived Monday at 21.00) in order to be in nearby Bremerhaven for an early morning meeting.  The hotel’s services were exemplary, Internet was lightning fast (although their system required that I connect both the USB cable and the RJ-45 cable to my laptop), and I was sorry to leave only 12 hours after arriving.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

The Bosch World 718, introduced in 1998, was the first true world phone.

Why is it then that many business travelers fall off the communications grid when they travel internationally?

Perhaps the greatest reason is the fact that the United States has multiple mobile telephone standards (the two most popular are CDMA and GSM, but there are others as well).  The rest of the world, with the exception of Japan and some parts of South America, uses only GSM.

GSM was developed with the business traveler in mind.  In 1982, the Groupe Spécial Mobile (GSM), a study group, was created by the Conference of European Posts and Telegraphs (CEPT) to combat the problem of incompatible mobile phone systems in European nations.  One of the goals of the GSM was to create a pan-European system that would allow a business traveler to drive across multiple national borders while continuing the same phone call.

The rest, as they say, is history: GSM specifications were published in 1990 and the first network went online in 1991.  Today, out of 2.53 billion mobile subscribers worldwide, 83% are GSM and UMTS (the 3G successor to GSM).

To keep business travelers connected, here is a primer on everything you need to know on the subject.

For starters, not all GSM phones will work everywhere.  Phones from different countries operate on different frequencies, although these are standardized by region.  So a GSM phone designed solely for North America won’t work in Europe.

To combat this, the multi-band mobile phone was designed.  The first was the World 718 introduced by Bosch in 1998.  I remember the first time I used mine (also in 1998); en route to a meeting in Berlin, I made a stop in Zürich.  After disembarking, I turned the phone on and was amazed to see Swisscom pop up on the screen (I was rather skeptical back then).  Calling was as easy as dialing from the U.S.  And anyone who dialed my phone’s number from the U.S. found me across borders and time zones.

With the right phone and service (see Selecting Your Service Provider), executive road warriors can place and receive calls in ca. 190 countries, with wireless data roaming in more than 100 countries.

TIP: Be aware of time zone differences and turn your phone off when going to sleep.  With time differences of many hours, someone may wind up calling you while you are sound asleep.

Technology has improved greatly since 1998.  Now instead of tri-band phones, we have quad-band and five-band phones.  I’ve looked at almost every phone out there and selected the best performing and easiest to use phones for your consideration.

See reviews of four world phones, the Research in Motion BlackBerry Pearl, the Palm Treo 750, the Palm Treo 680, and the Sony Ericsson W810i.

GLOSSARY

GSM – Groupe Spécial Mobile (Global System for Mobile Communications), 2G (Second Generation Mobile Phone Technology) voice service, offered by T-Mobile and AT&T (formerly Cingular) in the U.S.

GPRS – General Packet Radio Service, 2G data service, offered by AT&T and T-Mobile

EDGE – Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution, an enhancement of GPRS, sometimes referred to as 2.5G, average throughput of 80 – 130 Kbps, offered by AT&T and T-Mobile

UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, 3G voice service, offered by AT&T and T-Mobile (planned for 2007)

HSDPA – High Speed Downlink Packet Access, 3G data service, average throughput 550-800 Kbps, offered by AT&T and T-Mobile (planned for 2007)

CDMA – Code Division Multiple Access, 2G voice service, offered by Verizon and Sprint in the U.S.

CDMA2000 – a family of 3G mobile telecommunications standards and the second generation of CDMA technology.  Offered by Verizon and Sprint in the U.S.

SIM – Subscriber Identity Module, a smart card that holds the telephone number of the subscriber, encoded network identification details, the PIN,  and other user data including the phone book

SELECTING YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER

Both T-Mobile and AT&T offer GSM service in the United States and allow customers to roam internationally.  In most cases, you need to tell your mobile operator that you will be roaming internationally but there is no charge for having this added to your account.

In general, I have found that T-Mobile offers better pricing but this isn’t always the case (see chart, International Roaming Fees).  AT&T offers discounted rates for calls from ca. 80 countries if you sign up for the company’s World Traveler program (a $5.95 per month fee).

If your mobile is unlocked, you can insert a local SIM (see glossary) and place and receive phone calls at the same rates as locals.  In most countries, incoming calls are free under the Calling Party Pays (CPP) system. This means that calling a mobile phone number from a landline is more expensive than calling another landline phone.  Incoming text messages are also usually free.  A prepaid SIM can be purchased from almost every local mobile operator (examples would include A1 in Austria, T-Mobile in Germany, SingTel in Singapore, and Vodafone in the U.K.)  Be aware that most prepaid plans are good only in their home region and roaming across a border will result in roaming fees that are generally higher than those charged by U.S. mobile operators.

An additional option is to use Skype or a similar Voice-over-IP service, where rates are generally pennies per minute.  A laptop or phone with Wi-Fi capabilities is required to access the service, as is access to the Internet.

IS YOUR PHONE LOCKED?

Most mobiles purchased with a contract from a mobile operator are “locked,” which means one cannot use a different mobile operator unless the device gets unlocked.  T-Mobile will provide an unlocking code for customers who are traveling overseas as long as they are not a brand new customer.  In addition, there are scores of legal unlocking services which, for a fee, will provide a code to unlock one’s mobile.

INTERNATIONAL ROAMING FEES

Calling from                T-Mobile WorldClass AT&T   AT&T World Traveler*

Australia                     $1.49                          $1.69              $1.29

Belgium                       $ .99                           $1.29               $1.29

Austria                         $ .99                           $1.29                $ .99

Finland                        $ .99                           $1.29                $ .99

Germany                     $ .99                           $1.29                $ .99

Greece                        $1.49                           $1.29               $1.29

Hong Kong                $1.49                           $2.29               $1.99

Israel                          $2.99                           $2.49               $1.99

Malaysia                    $1.99                           $2.29               $1.99

Qatar                           $1.99                           $2.49               $2.49

Taiwan                        $1.49                           $1.99               $1.29

Text msg (sent)        $ .35                            $ .50                $ .50

Text msg (rec’d)      $ .10*                           **

*or pulled from monthly bucket

**charges vary based on individual plan

(Source: T-Mobile and AT&T Web sites)

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

Since the 1960s, several thousand Americans each year have taken a trip to Munich, Germany with one goal in mind.  Unlike the other American tourists, they are not there for the beer, the Schnitzel, the museums and art galleries, and the Gemütlichkeit alone.  The real reason for the trip: to pick up a new BMW at BMW’s factory delivery center.

The author's new BMW 330xi at the InterContinental Hotel and Resort in Berchtesgaden

For years, BMW has been among a handful of European automakers that offer Americans the option of picking up their cars at the factory.  The Americans take delivery, drive on the Autobahnen, Bundesstraßen, Landstraßen, and Autostrade of Europe for several weeks, and have the cars shipped back to the United States.  The trip has become almost an annual ritual for some; indeed a third of the customers have picked up a car at the factory in previous years. I am a member of that group, having joined the club in January 1982

2363 BMWs were sold through BMW’s European Delivery program in 2005; in 2004, the number was 1999. Customers are drawn by packages that can include significant discounts (published discounts are seven percent on most models; individual dealers will frequently offer even better pricing), discounted or free airfare, meals, and the thrill of a factory tour that is the birthplace of the car being picked up.

Just as legend tells us that the Loreley bewitched the hearts of sailors on the Rhine, the Autobahn bewitches the hearts of American drivers.  The opportunity to drive a BMW in its native habitat, the German Autobahn, is a major draw.

The European Delivery program has its roots in the 1950s when members of the U.S. armed forces returning from Europe brought with them a taste for smaller, sportier European cars. Many shipped their own cars to the States with the help of E.H. Harms Auto Forwarding & Shipping.   Harms was founded by Egon H. Harms, a German soldier who had been captured by the Americans at the Battle of the Bulge.  After he was released, he started moving military vehicles back to different ports; as more U.S. bases were built in Europe, he began shipping soldiers’ cars stateside as well.

At the time, other than the occasional Volkswagen Käfer (Beetle), a non-U.S. manufactured vehicle was an unusual sight in the United States.  Their appearance was mostly due to U.S. soldiers and to Max Hoffman, the Austrian emigrant automotive entrepreneur who, starting in 1948, single-handedly created the imported car business in the United States and during his career marketed Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jaguar, and BMW vehicles.

Most of his energy was focused on BMW. Hoffman started importing BMWs in the 1950s, and he was the exclusive importer from 1960 until March 1975, when BMW of North America was formed, reportedly buying Hoffman out for $16 million.  Hoffman remained co-chairman and a member of the design committee (he was instrumental in the creation of the BMW 507).

In the mid 1960s, with the advent of the jet age, Hoffman saw an opportunity to boost both sales and mindshare for BMW by offering prospective buyers the opportunity to take their first European vacation and drive around Europe in their own car (naturally, a BMW), which would follow them back to the U.S., giving the traveler a unique experience, saving money on the car purchase, and eliminating rental charges.

Hoffman was not alone. By the end of the decade, Mercedes, Saab, Volvo, Porsche, and Volkswagen all offered factory delivery for tourists.

European Delivery sales are arranged through BMW dealers in the United States.  Many dealerships have one salesperson as a designated specialist.  With minor exceptions, the cars do not come out of the dealer’s allocation so there is no floor cost to the dealer; essentially, it’s like selling an extra car.  Buyers should expect more paperwork (after all, buying a car usually doesn’t involve one’s passport) and buyers need to be aware that the wait time for redelivery can be six weeks to eight weeks.

Buyers receive premium auto insurance with no deductible for 14 days.  It can be extended at extra cost.  Each car is custom built, and needs to be ordered at least three months prior to the desired delivery date.  Buyers need to be aware of German (and other national) holidays when making travel plans; the delivery center is closed on German holidays and drop-off centers (over a dozen throughout Europe) are likely to be closed on local holidays.

European Delivery also has a “season” which runs from mid-March to mid-November.  Deliveries in the off season, after mid-November, are not recommended if your car comes with summer or performance tires.  German law requires the use of winter tires (tires must be designated with M+S, and all season tires do qualify).

THE PROCESS

Despite multiple prior European Deliveries, this is the first time I was to go through the entire process, starting with ordering a car from scratch.  For previous deliveries, I had selected a car from the pool of cars BMW maintains for those customers who decide to pickup their car at the factory on short notice.  Fortunately, they always seemed to have the exact car I wanted.

Placing the order with Ricki Shamen at DiFeo BMW

But this time was different: I went to meet with Ricki Shamen at DiFeo BMW on 27 August to place my order.  I had already reviewed all of the colors and options available, so placing the actual order was easy.  Ricki had obtained a production number for me rather quickly, and soon we were tracking my car through the manufacturing process, from 112 (effectively, “about to be built”) to 155 (production completed) to 170 (“at Delivery Center in Freimann for pre-delivery inspection”).  The car I ordered was a 2006 330xi, in Sparkling Graphite with a black leather interior.  Options included the Premium Package (which includes BMW Assist with Bluetooth Wireless Technology), Parking Distance Control, the Sport Package, Styling 162 wheels, iDrive and satellite navigation, Comfort Access, the Cold Weather Package, and power rear sunshades with manual side window shades – pretty much everything but Active Cruise Control, automatic transmission, and Active Steering.

We set a date for the delivery: 10. November.  That meant my car would be manufactured in mid October, ca. one month prior.  And it was, on 11. October.

As the date drew closer, I finalized an itinerary.  I would fly directly to Munich on the ninth and stay the first night in Munich.  After that, I would stay four nights at the InterContinental Resort in Berchtesgaden and make day trips from there.  I would drop off my car in Garching bei München on the 15th, and fly back to New York later that day.

The ninth of November arrived more quickly than I had anticipated.  I had set my alarm for three hours earlier than usual to get a jump on Central European Time (this works every time, ensuring I will be quite sleepy by the time we are aloft).  By coincidence, two acquaintances from the BMW Car Club of American, Rich and Jill Zimmer were to be on my flight as they were picking up an Electric Red E90 325i.

By the time I arrived at JFK, that evening, I was ready to settle in for a long, comfortable flight.  Rich and Jill were waiting for me in the Lufthansa Senator Lounge.  Due to inclement weather, our departure time was repeatedly delayed.  This gave us lots of time to enjoy sandwiches, Brezeln, and Spaten Oktoberfest Bier vom Faß.

After a comfortable flight (Lufthansa’s seats do fold into completely flat beds that are quite comfortable) and multiple delays due to weather conditions on both sides of the Atlantic, we finally arrived at Flughafen München Franz Josef Strauß at 11:45.

Rich and Jill joined me for a quick ride to the Delivery Center.  Upon arrival we headed upstairs to the café, where Thomas Roller, manager of the BMW Delivery Center, was waiting to meet with me.  Rich and Jill completed their paperwork and were brought to their new Electric Red 325i.

The BMW Welt under construction in November 2005

My next meeting was at BMW Welt  with Helmut Pöschl and his colleagues who are planning BMW Welt (more on BMW Welt in an upcoming article but I can promise it will make European Delivery even more of an experience).  Herr Roller offered to accompany me to my meetings, but allowed me to see my new car for a few seconds before we sped off in a very fast 130i.  We didn’t make it back until 17:30 and the Center was empty.  Herr Roller himself did the delivery and off I went to my “Stammhotel” on the Leopoldstraße, the Holiday Inn. This hotel is highly recommended for BMW owners doing European Delivery for one reason (besides the enormous breakfast buffet): the very safe underground parking garage.

The adventure had only begun.  See a related article, Journeys: Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Italy by Car, for details on the 2426 km drive.

HERR ROLLER’S ADVICE

Diplom-Kaufmann Thomas Roller is the manager of the BMW Delivery Center where European Delivery cars are delivered.  He has some suggestions to make the European Delivery experience more fun and less stressful for American visitors.

• Order Satellite Navigation and get the DVD for Europe.  Having navigation in the car will allow you to enjoy your trip without going astray.  Asking for directions in a language you don’t speak and reading a map for an unfamiliar city takes away one’s enjoyment of the places you came to enjoy.  Arriving hours late for a once-a-day tour can ruin a vacation.
• Learn a few phrases German and the language(s) of any countries you will be visiting.  “Danke” (thank you), “bitte” (please and you’re welcome), and “Guten Morgen” (good morning) will go a long way.
• Plan for local weather.  Don’t order a car with summer (performance) tires for a mid-December delivery.  You (and your car) won’t get very far.
• Read the materials BMW provides, including information about drop-off locations and hours. Ask questions at the delivery center before leaving.
• Don’t overplan.  Many first-time visitors to Europe try to see everything.  Pick a few destinations and get to know them well.
• Verify the location and hours for your intended drop-off location when you pick-up the car at the Delivery Center.

EUROPEAN DELIVERY RESOURCES

The BMW of North America Web site presents an overview of European Delivery, including pricing.

Driving along the Autobahn towards Innsbruck with friends right behind (visible in side-view mirror).

The European Delivery forum at Bimmerfest attracts over 10% of BMW’s European Delivery customers.  They spend time in this online forum, asking questions, making vacation plans, even learning important phrases in German.  Moderated by Bernard Wang, the European Delivery forum at Bimmerfest is a time-tested resource for novice and experienced purchasers.

Rolf Raffelsieper – BMW Pick-up Service.  Herr Raffelsieper started working at BMW in 1967.  He will pick you up at Flughafen München Franz Josef Strauß (airport) and take you directly to the BMW European Delivery Center in Freimann or to your hotel.  He will gladly pick you up from your hotel and take you to the Delivery Center and can also meet you at E.H. Harms and take you to the airport after your drop-off. He can also arrange various tours, including visits to BMW facilities of interest.  E-mail Rolf at rolf.raffelsieper@web.de

Ricki Shamen, DiFeo BMW.  It is rare to work with the same BMW Client Advisor for 16 years.  I have worked with Ricki on multiple European Deliveries (and several U.S. deliveries) over the past 16 years. She enjoys each customer’s trip as much as if she were along for the ride.   Contact her at rshamen@penskeautomotive.com.

European Delivery Calendar.  Photographs from Germany and Austria along with all U.S., German, and Austrian holidays make the European Delivery 2006 calendar a valuable reference and keepsake.

Lufthansa. Lufthansa, German’s flagship airline, serves Munich from 16 cities, offering non-stop service from New York City (JFK and Newark), Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Charlotte, and Boston (in the summertime).  Most flights are operated with Airbus A340 aircraft, configured in a two- or three-class configuration.  Newark flights offer a 44-seat all business class alternative using a Boeing 737-700 corporate jet.  Lufthansa just opened up a new first class lounge in Munich with limousine service to the plane.  For European Delivery customers, Lufthansa offers a special two-for-one package. Visit Lufthansa at www.lufthansa-usa.com/241bmw.

InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden.  The InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden is located close to the Bavarian/Austrian border some 150 km from Munich and 35 km from Salzburg, making it an excellent destination for a European Delivery trip. The mountain resort sits ca. 1,000 m above sea level on the Eckerbichl Mountain range, offering spectacular views of Berchtesgadener Land.   Visit the hotel’s Web site for more information.

Holiday Inn Munich City-North  The Holiday Inn, located in the heart of Schwabing, is a short distance from the Englischer Garten and the many shops and cafés on the Leopoldstraße.  It is also situated within minutes of the A9 and has a safe, self-park garage ideal for a brand new BMW.  Visit the hotel’s Web site for more information

EUROPEAN DELIVERY TIMELINE

1.) Ca. three months before the desired date, decide the color and options, and negotiate the price.

2.) Sign the purchase order which your dealer then submits to the European Delivery department with your desired delivery date

3.) Your car is manufactured ca. 30 days prior to delivery

4.) You pay for the car, usually 14 days before scheduled pick up day; if you are leasing, your lease starts on this day.

5.) You pick up the car in Munich.

6.) You drop the car off in Europe (within 30 days for BMWFS lease, 90 days for BMWFS finance, 6 months otherwise; insurance for 14 days is included).

7.) Car is transported to port and then put on board ship

8.) Your car reaches USA (from drop-off, this takes up 3-4 weeks for the East Coast, 5-6 weeks for the West Coast)

9.) Vehicle clears customs, is processed at the VDC and shipped to the dealer (depending on a variety of factors, including how backed up U.S. Customs is, this can take 1-2 weeks)

10.) Redelivery

FROM DROP-OFF TO REDELIVERY

Once a BMW owner drops off his car at one of the authorized drop-off points, what happens to it?  For many, the four to eight week block of time is a black box during which all the owner can do is obsess and try to track the vehicle using fairly rudimentary tools.   Once a car is dropped off, it goes by truck to Bremerhaven, Zeebrugge (if the car is dropped off in Amsterdam, Madrid or Paris) or Southampton.  If a car is dropped off in Italy, it is driven to Munich for further transport.

All cars are loaded on the same vessels in the same manner; the only difference is that privately-owned vehicles (the European Delivery cars) have priority over new vehicles if there is a space limitation.

New cars are cleared through customs electronically before the ship reaches port; privately-owned vehicles are cleared individually and manually (paper forms must be sent to customs).

The author's car being checked over at BMW's Vehicle Distribution Center (VDC) in New Jersey

The VDC, or vehicle delivery center (previously known as the VPC), is where your car will be received upon its entry into the United States.  Most cars go to the Port of New York, where they are received at the North East Auto-Marine Terminal.  Cars destined for the west coast go to the VDC at the Port of Hueneme in the Oxnard Harbor District.

When the ship arrives, cars are offloaded by stevedores to the first point of rest, also called the pier, which is part of the Northeast Auto Terminal.  European Delivery cars are segregated on the pier until they are cleared by customs inspectors, who physically inspect each car.

Once the cars are cleared and released by customs, the cars are inspected by AVI (Automotive Visual Inspections) for any damage. Northeast Auto Terminal personnel then shuttles the cars, a ca. 2.4 km trip on a private road, to the VDC.  Once the cars arrive at the VDC, barring the removal of the cosmoline (which European Delivery cars do not have), the process is the same.  Upon arrival, the cars are taken into inventory, washed, and taken into the facility.  Each vehicle is visually inspected for damage.  Damage might have occurred during use in Europe and during transport.  The VDC is especially concerned with safety-related damage or defects such as broken lights or gouges in wheels.  They also check for any factory defects such as “airbag light on.”  Any campaigns (normal updates) are performed and the car’s paper trail is reviewed.

From there, the cars go to your local BMW dealer for redelivery.

EUROPEAN ROAD WARRIOR’S ARSENAL

Keeping in touch with friends and family nowadays during a trip doesn’t mean sending a postcard, unless it’s a digital one.   Given the ubiquity of Wi-Fi, a traveler has little excuse but to e-mail a few pictures of his new BMW within hours of delivery. Having the right arsenal of tools can make this a lot easier.

For this trip, I assembled the following:

• Camera – Sony CyberShot DSC-V3 (7 megapixel)
• Mobile phone – tri-band Sony Ericsson S710a for use with the BMW’s built-in Bluetooth system (phone has with built-in 1.3 megapixel camera)
• Laptop – Lenovo (née IBM) ThinkPad T42 with built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Internet Connectivity – Most hotels (including the InterContinental) have wired if not wireless Internet access.  At rates of $20-30 per 24 hours, it is expensive compared to the U.S. standard of $10 per day. Internet cafés and wardriving offer an inexpensive alternative.
• Skype – Skype’s voice-over-IP (VoIP) services allow users to make free calls to each other; a call to a landline phone in the United States from Germany costs € 0.017 per minute.  Skype can be used to place phone calls from Lufthansa flights with FlyNet at the same rates.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

The author's brand new BMW 330xi was followed by a red BMW 3er across the Brenerpaß.

as far as Sferzing, and looping back to Berchtesgaden), I passed by the front desk just in time to hear another guest complaining about problems with Net connectivity.  He was quite upset (apparently, his room had no connectivity) and was simultaneously speaking with one of the hotel managers and someone on a customer service line.  His complaint: had he known he would not have Internet access, he would have stayed elsewhere.  Apparently, I was lucky to be in the Confetti Suite.

As Net access in hotels becomes as ubiquitous as television, hotels (such as the one I was staying in) catering to business travellers need to ensure a more seamless experience.  Almost all hotels work with third-party providers; unfortunately, when that partner becomes unreliable, the hotel guest sees only the hotel brand and such unreliability tarnishes that brand.  Unhappy guests seldom return, regardless of who was at fault.

Friday, November 11, 2005, Berchtesgaden, Germany

View at 1000 m - from the InterContinental Hotel and Resort, Berchtesgaden

630 kilometers later and at an altitude of 950 m, I found myself comfortably ensconced in a suite at the recently-opened InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden.  No Confetti Suite here; I was online within minutes.  The biggest problem I had was finding an electrical outlet for the computer (the outlets were concealed behind a wood panel).  Berchtesgaden was to be my base for the remainder of my trip.

During the balance of my stay, I visited Dürnstein (the town where Richard the Lionhearted was held captive), Lienz, Kitzbühel, and Sopron (Hungary) – in all, driving 2426 km.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005, Munich, Germany
I drove ca. 175 km to the town of Garching, outside of Munich, to turn the car over to the shipping agent, E.H. Harms.  From Garching, it was a 15-minute ride to Munich’s ultra-modern Franz Josef Strauss Airport.  As mentioned last week, I had been looking forward to trying Lufthansa’s FlyNet onboard Internet service, but on the trip over, the service was unfortunately kaput.  I was pressing my thumbs together (German/Austrian equivalent of “fingers crossed”) for good luck for the flight home.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005, 11,000 m over Europe
As soon as we reached cruising altitude, my computer detected Wi-Fi and I logged into FlyNet.  Seat power outlets are conveniently located and I had a choice of U.S. or the European Schuko connection systems.  I started off with simple chores, such as checking the news (I decided NOT to grab a handful of newspapers as I boarded, opting – hoping – to see the more current online versions).

With Lotus Notes replicating my mail and other databases in the background, I started receiving Sametime instant messages from colleagues.  Briefly put, my initial experience (discounting last week’s flight) with FlyNet was very positive.  Granted, it was relatively slow (I did several speed tests and it was marginally faster than GPRS) but we WERE, after all, at 11,000 m cruising along at 860 km/h.

After reading some e-mail, I called home using Skype (quality was decent), checked my voicemail, upgraded iTunes, did some online banking – in short, nothing extraordinary, absent the venue.

The author, connected to the Net at 30,000 feet via Connexion by Boeing

My neighbor in seat 3J, Frau Frowein, lives in Munich and was visiting New York for the first time.  She had some questions for me about things to do, so I suggested we look online at some information about events for the upcoming week in New York – another good use for FlyNet.  I also recommended a concert at Carnegie Hall, so we looked at the program and she and I booked a ticket for her for a concert with Hilary Hahn.  We also e-mailed her daughter (Frau Frowein had never used e-mail before).

About 3 hours into the flight, I briefly lost the connection but the service was flawless from that point forward.

Last Tuesday’s flight took place entirely during business hours in the United States.  We departed at 15:15 local time, which is 09:15 in New York.  We landed at 18:25 New York time.  This represents an entire day – and given the pace at which the knowledge economy moves – missing one day is more than many can afford.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.