Ford's says SYNC goes over big at CES
by Chris Tutor on Jan 12th 2007 at 10:07AM 
Ford is touting SYNC's popularity at CES, where attendees voted to give the technology the CNET People's Voice Award, while Popular Mechanics magazine gave SYNC their Editor's Choice award.
While at CES we got a personal demonstration of the technology from Scott Porter, lead program manager for Microsoft Auto. The system did everything it is advertised to do, from taking voice commands, to integrating Bluetooth phones with the car to reading text messages received on your mobile phone. The most impressive thing it did was work just as well with Apple's iPod as it did with Microsoft's Zune. None of those tricks are anything different from what dozens of other electronics and even automotive companies are currently offering. One difference is the lack of GPS on SYNC. Could the Microsoft and Ford PR campaign pushing SYNC be the biggest reason for the People's Voice award? Then again, maybe we just don't "get" being able to have " :) " read out loud to us by a feminine digital voice as "smiley face," or the usefulness of taking 30 seconds or more to interrupt the music to ask SYNC what song is currently playing. We're looking forward to reading Popular Mechanics reasons for liking SYNC. Perhaps they saw something we didn't.
For the full Ford press release, click through to the jump.
PRESS RELEASE
Sync™, the in-vehicle voice-activated technology and entertainment system developed in partnership with Microsoft, is this year's "People's Voice" award winner at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Visitors to CNET (www.cnet.com), an Internet-based media company covering the unveilings this week at the 40th CES, voted Ford Sync™, powered by Microsoft Auto, as the most significant new product introduced at the show.
"This is huge," said a clearly enthused Tim Nixon, manager of Technology Development and Implementation Engineering at Ford. "You cannot believe the attention we have received at this show. At times, the press has been lined up three and four deep at our display area waiting for interviews. This is great news for Ford and Microsoft."
Nixon says the "People's Voice" honor is actually the second received by Sync in Las Vegas this week, having already earned the "Editor's Choice" award from Popular Mechanics magazine on Monday.
Sync allows consumers to bring nearly any mobile phone or digital media player into their vehicles and operate them by voice command, or by using the steering wheel or radio controls.
With nearly 60 million digital music devices sold in the U.S. and more than 80 percent of the country's households using cell phones, connectivity is becoming increasingly important to consumers -- anytime, any place.
"With Sync, you can travel with your Zune or iPod and access its features using the vehicle's controls, and the full capability of your Bluetooth cell phone will be just a voice command away," said Mark Fields, Ford executive vice president, to media members gathered at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) at Sync's Detroit reveal Sunday.
"We're going to roll it out quickly and affordably in 12 new vehicles, starting with the 2008 Ford Focus, because the market potential is absolutely enormous," Fields said.
Sync will also debut later this year on the 2008 Ford Fusion, Five Hundred, Edge, Freestyle, Explorer and Sport Trac, along with the Mercury Milan, Montego, Mountaineer, and on the Lincoln MKX and MKZ.
The technology, exclusive to Ford Motor Company through 2008, will be expanded to all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the near future.
For more information on Sync, visit www.SyncMyRide.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt 10:12AM (1/12/2007)
I hope it will bluetooth with iPhone!
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D-Dog 10:19AM (1/12/2007)
I was hoping it would improve Ford's horrible quality, reliability and resale values.
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Pedro Leite 10:34AM (1/12/2007)
This is exactly blue&me from FIAT, I already have today on my Grande Punto LOL.
Hope 2008 brings good updates to all.
BTW, iPod integration is just reading MP3 of it's disk mode, not really using the protected music... please read the fine print first.
PL
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Ironman 10:49AM (1/17/2007)
What's up? You guys loved Sync on January 8th, now it's not that great. Autoblog is worse than Ford management. Everybody out there, stop listening to what these guys tell you and go out and test drive stuff for yourselves.
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Ironman 10:50AM (1/17/2007)
Why don't my comments show up?
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LaughingTooHard 2:20PM (1/12/2007)
You guys are joking, right? Don't see the impact of this? Wow, I am totally stupified. I have sent that clip around to maybe 50-60 people via email and I have gotten responses such as "Why doesn't BMW do that?" "Makes me want a Ford - ACK!" "Can I put one in my Honda?" "Love it now all I need is an iPod" "Wow, wow, wow"
So I am confused what you didn't like, the GPS? Oh I can see how difficult that will be to offer as an option - but you are right this is Ford, not Toyota so they really are as stupid as you think.
Don't like the "Smiley Face" (OK people did note that was corny - but they are 23-25years old so what's your excuse?)- I am sure you can turn that off.
Overall it is impressive and I am surprised you are just stirring the sh*t for page views - not cool.
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BeeMDub 10:35PM (1/12/2007)
Rarely to manufacturers provide all of these capabilities in a single ECU that is configurable and easily upgradeable. From what I hear, SYNC can be updated to support new bluetooth devices and even add applications.
The Fiat blue&me product has supposed to have GPS capabilities. Perhaps this was left out of this SYNC version to save costs?
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Nellydesign 12:00PM (1/15/2007)
Yeah, horrible quality and reliability. That's exactly what Consumer Reports said about the Fusion... OH WAIT! No, they said the exact opposite. Way to keep your head in the sand there chief.
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Oscar 6:04PM (1/12/2007)
I think this is one bold move by ford
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Infinihertz 1:39PM (1/13/2007)
#3, YOU should read the fine print, because the Sync will support protected music on the iPod (or practically any other device). This was mentioned in passing here at Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/07/detroit-auto-show-ford-sync/), and at many other sites. Please don't make up stuff.
Maybe blue&me from FIAT can't do it, but then I guess you'd have to be wrong about them being exactly the same, huh?
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Todd 1:44PM (1/13/2007)
I think this will definitely help cars like the 2008 Ford Focus.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/Cars/2008focus/
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