Ford Dreams Big in China
Ford keeps finding ways to stay on the leading edge of dashboard tech, even when it's toiling away at the other end of the world.
Ford announced on Wednesday that it was teaming up with Baidu and China Unicom to introduce a range of infotainment offerings for Chinese drivers.
Appearing at Shanghai's Mobile Expo Asia, the unlikely trio of the popular U.S. automaker, China's leading search engine, and the world's third largest mobile carrier hope to transform Ford's SYNC AppLink technology into a viable platform for developers to give motorists more options in entertainment and information as they get around the world's most populous nation.
This isn't vaporware.
Ford already has nine AppLink apps ready to roll, including Baidu's street mapping application that will help validate the search giant's presence in mobile.
Dot-com darling SINA is also developing for the platform. Ford announced that SINA has a weather app for the infotainment platform, and naturally there will be a way for drivers to check in with SINA Weibo, the fast-growing micro-blogging platform that's been often referred to as the Twitter of China.
SYNC AppLink lets anyone with a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone to use the handset's connectivity to run dashboard apps.
Ford has always been on the cutting edge of consumer tech. My Ford Flex may be two years old, but it does things that many new cars still can't do like seamlessly stream Spotify or use my phone to perform automobile analytics.
Even companies that would seem to like things the way they are find it better to partner with Ford. Sirius XM Radio announced last month a stateside deal for the million drivers with Ford's SYNC AppLink to access and navigate Sirius XM's on demand and customized radio offerings. The move makes Ford the first auto manufacturer to provide access to MySXM and SiriusXM On Demand functionality through a car's radio controls, steering wheel buttons, or Siri-like voice commands.
For now, the focus is on making some serious inroads in China.
Ford is giving developers in China Unicom's app store access to SYNC AppLink to flesh out their mobile programs. Ford also recently launched a developer website in Chinese, making it easier for developers to brush up on the platform and potentially introduce applications in any of Ford's global markets.
XTC sang about roads girdling the globe. Ford is living it as a global leader in dashboard technology.
Rule the planet without leaving home
Profiting from our increasingly global economy can be as easy as investing in your own backyard. The Motley Fool's free report "3 American Companies Set to Dominate the World" shows you how. Click here to get your free copy before it's gone.
The article Ford Dreams Big in China originally appeared on Fool.com.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Ford. The Motley Fool recommends Baidu, Ford, and SINA. The Motley Fool owns shares of Baidu and Ford. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
