Vehicle Technology Offers Safety, Convenience

(MS) - Drive a car, SUV or light truck today and you'll figure out that vehicles are no longer machines designed only to transport people from point A to point B. They're quickly evolving into business and entertainment hubs, offering many of the conveniences of home.

As personal entertainment technology grows by leaps and bounds, automotive companies are continually looking at new ways to modify the features of vehicles to interest the "techie" demographic. With this in mind, Ford Motor Company and Microsoft teamed up to produce the award-winning Ford SYNC® in-car connectivity system that is slated to be in every Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks by the end of 2008.

In his keynote address at the 2008 International CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced that Ford will expand SYNC to nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks by the end of 2008. Gates also confirmed a new "911 Assist" feature that will help drivers connect with emergency assistance in the event of an air bag deployment.

Introduced in the fall of 2007, SYNC provides customers the convenience and flexibility to bring digital media players - Apple iPods, Microsoft Zunes and other MP3 players - and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones into their vehicle and operate the devices via voice commands or with the buttons on the steering wheel or radio.

SYNC has been very popular. The new technology - which is exclusive to Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles - topped 30,000 unit sales in its first three months on the market. In fact, Ford says SYNC is on track to reach 1 million sales in early 2009.

In addition to the new 911 Assist feature, SYNC is being updated this year to create, on demand, easy-to-understand reports that owners can use to monitor the health of their vehicles. Plus, because it is a software solution, SYNC will be able to be updated as new innovations arise in this technology.

"From the start, we pursued an updatable software solution with SYNC, using the consumer electronics business as our model," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of Global Product Development. "The ability to add functionality and update the system to work with new devices is what makes SYNC unique in the industry right now. It is a strategy that will benefit our customers over time by ensuring their systems do not become outdated."

Safety Standards

Research shows that safety continues to be a leading driver of purchase consideration. In the event of a serious accident with an air bag deployment, the ability to directly contact the local 911 emergency operator could be a critical need - for both vehicle occupants and the first responders. Beginning later this year, SYNC can help.

When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC - which is designed to happen every time the driver enters the vehicle with his or her cell phone - the system will be ready to assist in placing a call to a local 911 emergency operator should an air bag-deploying accident occur.

Before initiating the emergency 911 call, the system will provide a 10-second window to allow the driver or passenger to decide whether to cancel the call. If not manually cancelled within the 10-second window, SYNC will place the emergency call. A pre-recorded message will play when the call is answered, and occupants in the vehicle will then be able to communicate directly with the 911 operator.

"Being connected means being able to get the help you need, when you need it," Kuzak said. "With SYNC, and specifically with the 911 Assist feature, we will be providing our customers an extra layer of security and peace of mind."

Other Features

Apart from 911 safety features, the technology allows drivers to make calls, and listen to music conveniently from their vehicles. SYNC connects people and their favorite portable devices while in the vehicle, including media players and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.

To learn more about SYNC, visit your local Ford, Lincoln, Mercury dealership and speak to a salesperson, or visit http://www.ford.com/.

CAPTION: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates during his keynote address to the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Lee Celano/Microsoft Corp.

Keywords: vehicle technology automotive bluetooth apple ipods microsoft zunes

Share on: facebook