14 DAY TRIAL // Sync is a product built via a partner ship between Microsoft and Ford. This is by no means the sole venture of the Redmond company's into the automotive industry, but judging by the first two videos embedded at the bottom of this article it has the potential to be the funniest. Neither Microsoft nor Ford seem shy of taking a shot at comedy in the marketing campaign for Sync in order to gain greater appeal to customers. The remaining two videos are on a more serious note, focused on highlighting the actual features that Sync delivers.
The Detroit Auto Show and at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2007 were the stages where Microsoft introduced their partnership with U.S. auto maker Ford. Sync is the product of the companies' collaboration and is positioned as an in-car navigation, information and entertainment platform. The Sync system is of course Windows based and has become available in the second half of this year. By 2009, Ford plans to offer the system in all its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, not just the 12 models of 2008.
"Sync, developed by Ford and based on the Microsoft Auto platform, will offer hands-free phone dialing, address-book synchronization, and other features such as the ability to read text messages through the car's audio system. Drivers can also control their digital music players using voice commands or controls on the steering wheel. In addition, the Microsoft Auto software is easily updatable, so Sync can integrate new devices as they are introduced, with a simple software upgrade," Microsoft revealed back in January 2007.
The Redmond company has stressed the scalability of Sync via the updating mechanism inherent to all its software products. This means that next time you will be taking your Ford to be pimped out, you'll also be getting some Microsoft updates along with 20 inch rims.