Ford expands connected services division, puts AppLink into more vehicles

DEARBORN, Mich.--Ford Motor Co. will expand the number of vehicles that support its Sync AppLink offering and concurrently will enlarge the business unit--the Ford Connected Services Solutions Organization--that handles many of its mobile efforts. Further, Ford executives promised they would soon unveil additional AppLink-capable mobile applications and support Nokia products via a push into Europe.

Ford's AppLink allows mobile app developers to display their app's information on Ford's in-car touchscreen displays.

Ford highlighted its mobile efforts at a media event here intended to showcase the auto-maker's technical prowess.

Julius Marchwicki, Ford SYNC product manager, said Ford is hoping to work at the speed of the app market, despite the fact that automobile design cycles take four years or more and phone design cycles can be six months or less.

Specifically, Ford announced that the 2012 Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Fiesta, F-150, F-150 SVT Raptor, Super Duty, Expedition, E-Series and Shelby GT500 will join the previously announced 2012 Ford Mustang as AppLink-equipped vehicles. AppLink is Ford's service that connects users' smartphones to their vehicles, and is available to mobile app developers via Ford APIs. The result is that drivers can, for example, "play Pandora's rock station,"and the system will activate the Pandora Internet radio app on a user's smartphone and then play the resulting tunes through their car's stereo.

Ford said its AppLink program has so far received interest from more than 2,500 developers.

 Ford has approved only three applications through its AppLink program--Pandora, Stitcher and OpenBeak--and Ford's Marchwicki acknowledged "that doesn't sound like a lot." But he said the company is preparing to certify a range of additional AppLink-capable applications for use inside Ford vehicles.

Along with its app efforts, Ford also is looking toward expanding its cloud-based Sync services, which include driving directions, weather information and more. The automaker said it will quadruple its Connected Services Solutions Organization workforce during the next four years, with a threefold increase of its U.S. operations alone. Doug VanDagens, director of Ford Connected Services Solutions, said the company currently employs around 50 people in its Connected Services Solutions Organization.

Interestingly, VanDagens also said Ford is planning to expand its mobile efforts into Europe and will, as a result, support Nokia's Symbian platform and possibly Nokia's forthcoming Windows Phone products. Ford's Sync products currently support Research In Motion's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry, Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android platform.

Ford introduced its Nuance- and Microsoft-powered Sync voice-recognition service in 2007 and added its AppLink service into the mix last year. The company also announced its MyFord Mobile smartphone app last year, which lets drivers of the Ford Focus electric car view their vehicle's diagnostics.

However, Ford isn't the only company targeting the mobile field. GM's OnStar continues to push ahead in the space, and earlier this year Toyota introduced Entune, a new multimedia platform leveraging mobile phones to deliver in-vehicle entertainment, navigation and information services.

For more:
- see this release
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this Reuters article

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