The Ford Motor Company has announced an increase in-car mobile internet services during CES 2010. With partnerships already in place with map supplier Mapquest, Internet radio provider Pandora, micro-blogging service Twitter and audio news service Stitcher this comes are no surprise. However whats really interesting is the announcement by Chief Executive Alan Mulally about a potential deal with Google.
Whilst’s details of any potential partnership were sketchy it has been reported to involve the use of Googles Android operating system and Fords ‘Sync’ service -already rolled out in it’s vehicle lineup. According to the LA Times, the lineup of Sync services cars are selling at twice the rate of those without.
It’s highly likely that Ford will introduce an Apple App Store type model where by developers could create car specific applications for use on it’s Sync platform. The opportunities are extreamly high. Imagine receiving driving instructions based on real time mashups of road demand, accidents & weather info…nice.
Now all said and done, the added services could actual pose a distraction to drivers in some circumstances, but Ford have introduced and progressively introducing safe guards such as voice commands rather then physical input and the disabling of WiFi whilst the car is out of ‘Park’ to stop drivers surfing the net.
Mobile internet services are not completely new to the Auto Industry. For instance, Fiat uses a systems called Blue&Me whilst, General Motors have a system called OnStar. Fords foray into this area means this behemoth of a player brings significant weight into the ever expanding mobile internet services space. With increases consumer awareness, larger developer interest, falling access costs and increasing speeds…they look likely to pull off a successful venture.
Tags: android, ces, ford, ford sync, google, in car internet services, maps, mobile internet