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Ford first released its Sync IVI system in the U.S., putting it in 2008-model cars that went on sale in 2007. Since then, the system has been updated steadily, as we review later in this story -- but it hasn't been sold in Europe, a key market for the automaker.
At this week's IFA Berlin trade show, Ford said it has now sold more than three million Sync-equipped cars in the U.S., and will bring the system to Europe next year in vehicles such as its popular Focus and Fiesta. A notable change will be support for 19 different languages, nine of them European, with the ability to understand 10,000 commands in each, the company says.
According to reports by Torque News, Ford also had to tweak Sync's navigation system to work at Autobahn speeds. Testers are said to have complained that the system wasn't giving enough advance notice of when an exit was coming up.
TechRadar adds in a "hands-on" report from IFA that the Euro version of Sync will handle the United Kingdom's seven-digit postcodes, which most other factory-fit navigation systems cannot. Rather than having its own cellular modem, Sync sensibly relies on a driver's smartphone, the website adds.
"At launch in Europe and indeed the U.K., Sync's Internet functionality will be limited to providing a Wi-Fi hotspot" via the phone, TechRadar says. Noting that the Pandora music streaming service is not available in Europe, writer Jeremy Laird says Ford is working to provide Spotify support.
The Evos concept car
Ford also used IFA to show off images of a new, cloud-connected concept car called the Evos (set for its physical unveiling at the Frankfurt Auto Show later this month). While no Microsoft involvement with this was mentioned, the vehicle incorporates innovations that are likely to make their way into future Sync versions.
The Evos is a plug-in hybrid that includes integral cellular connectivity, capable of connecting the car to both cloud-based computers and a user's office. According to a presentation by Ford Chief Technical Officer Paul Mascarenas, this will allow functionality such as:
Background on Ford's Sync
Ford first introduced its Windows CE-based Sync automotive technology in 2008-model cars, initially focusing the system on integrating phones and PMPs (portable music players) into a car's entertainment system. The system has subsequently been broadened to include GPS, cellular data, and a variety of other elements.
In 2010, for example, Ford unveiled Sync AppLink, originally for the 2011 Ford Fiesta but extended to additional vehicles this year. This addition to Sync allows smartphone users to control selected apps -- Pandora, Stitcher, and the OpenBeak Twitter client, for example -- by using voice commands, steering wheel buttons, or a car's touchscreen.
Ford says that to access a mobile app with a Sync-paired phone, the user simply has to press the Voice button on a car's steering wheel and say the command, "Mobile applications," followed by the name of the app he or she would like to launch. Information related to the app then appears on the car's instrument panel display, as pictured above.
In July 2010, Ford responded to growing concerns about texting while driving by saying it would provide Sync with a "Do Not Disturb" button. The automaker said the enhanced MyFord Touch versions of Sync adopt the Bluetooth Special Interest Group's Message Access Protocol (MAP), allowing the system to read incoming text messages aloud to drivers.
Since some phones don't support the MAP profile, MyFord Touch also offers a "Do Not Disturb Mode," which block incoming phone calls or text messages from a paired, Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, saving them on the device for later listening or viewing. Even in this mode, drivers can still make voice-activated outgoing phone calls, if they so decide, and the Sync 911 Assist feature can still call emergency services automatically if an airbag is deployed, the company added.
Microsoft's automotive technology
Microsoft's Windows CE for Automotive was first released in 1998, since when it has evolved into a variety of product offerings. For example, in 2003 it was called Windows Automotive (2003), and by 2006 it was known as Windows Mobile for Automotive.
Unlike with many Microsoft products, however, naming is secondary, since the core technology is designed to be adapted by automaker customers and offered under their own brands. For example, the Windows CE-based software made its debut in Europe and South America on Fiat vehicles, where it is known as Blue&Me.
The technology was later released in the U.S. by Ford as Sync, on passenger cars, and Ford Work Solutions, for commercial vehicles. It is also offered in a version for Peterbilt and Kenworth big rigs.
In March 2009, Microsoft announced Microsoft Auto 4.0, adding a standard interface for broadcast radio tuners, CD playback and ripping support, and support for x86 processors such as the Intel Atom Z530, Z510P, Z530PT, and Z510PT. The subsequently released Microsoft Auto 4.1, based on Windows CE 6.0 R3, added enhancements including Bluetooth 2.1, MAP 1.0, and simple secure pairing support.
Finally, an October 2010 announcement unveiled Windows Embedded Automotive 7, based on Windows Embedded Compact 7 (the next-generation version of Windows CE that was announced in June). The upgrade adds support for Silverlight for Windows Embedded, allowing automakers to "quickly create rich device user experiences with engaging 2-D and 3-D graphics," says Microsoft.
According to Microsoft, Windows Embedded Automotive 7 "builds on the best of Microsoft Auto 4.1 and Windows Automotive 5.5, delivering a large set of integrated and flexible middleware components." Existing support for phones and media devices has been enhanced, now including Bluetooth 2.1, iPhone/iPod Touch firmware 3.x support, and the latest DLNA (digital living network alliance), and twice-yearly device compatibility updates are promised.
Microsoft says Windows Embedded Automotive 7 supports single or single- or multiple-core processors using Intel, ARM, or SH4 architectures. Hardware options are available from silicon partners including Freescale, Nvidia, Renesas, Samsung, and Texas Instruments, the company adds.
Jonathan Angel can be reached at jonathan.angel@ziffdavisenterprise.com and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense.
