So I get an email from Ford PR man Alan Hall re: "Microsoft To Launch Sync-based In-Car Advertising." Our previous blog post (based on a C/Net article) summarized plans voiced by the GM of Microsoft's Automotive Business. Martin Thall was discussing the possibilities of in-car advertising in general. Our headline and lead mislead readers into believing that these plans necessarily involved Ford's SYNC system. Ford's flackmeister pointed-out that SYNC is Ford's baby. The Blue Oval Boyz will decide whether or not to allow in-car advertising on their version of Microsoft's automotive operating system platform, not Bill Gates' minions. We apologize for leaving the wrong impression about the "ownership" of the possibility of advertising on SYNC-equipped Fords– which Hall wouldn't rule out. "We may have ads on SYNC at some point," Hall said in a telephone interview. "Everything's on the table." Glad that's cleared up. [NB: the original post has been amended to remove the word "Ford" from the headline and lead.]
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Did Mr. Hall (full disclosure — a very nice guy that I enjoy drinking with) mention that Sync is only exclusive to Ford for (from what I hear) 18 months? After that, Micro$oft can start sticking it in other makes…
He did. And so did you.
I still wouldn’t buy it. Even though I develop computer systems (or because of it!) I am becoming something of an automotive Luddite, at least when it comes to electronic toys in the car. I want the electronics kept to a minimum so I can enjoy the driving experience.
From what I see on the road every day, more people need to stop playing with the toys in their cars and get on with the business of driving!
It’s good to know FoMoCo closely monitors TTAC.
Sync is the spinsters baby right now. The only quasi-good news from Ford sales at the moment is that this “killer-app” is moving the otherwise putrescent Focus. Oh yeah, and it’s gonna attract “young, tech-savvy, first-time buyers” into Fords, making them blue-oval-fo-lifer’s, complete with the little Calvin sticker pissing on Honda/Scion/whomever. Except that as Johnny points out, the technology will only be exclusive to Ford for a few more months. Sure, Ford will have the name “Sync” forever, but everyone and their downmarket brand will offer all the same cool features soon enough.
Besides, since the post was written in the “future-speculative tense,” and “all options are on the table,” it wasn’t factually incorrect, was it? Y’know, sort of like saying “Ford is doing a lot of things right with this campaign” when sales of the Focus are clearly tied to one temporarily exclusive option.
From what I see on the road every day, more people need to stop playing with the toys in their cars and get on with the business of driving!
I disagree. CD autochangers, mp3 players and the like make the chore of driving more bearable. That hour-long drive from college back home doesn’t seem so bad when I’m listening to Queens of the Stone Age.
CarShark : That’s why I have Sirius.
The point of too much in the car tech is a concern. It’s not just grandma’s, but I’ve noticed a fair amount of people with lux cars with the fancy screen interfaces that completely ignore the presence of. I guess because they don’t want to be bothered learning it, or the interface seems imposing, I don’t know.
Maybe the interfaces need more refinement and simplicity. Regardless, I don’t think those interfaces are helping anyone but geeks. :)
From Alan “The Horse” Hall’s mouth: “‘SYNC’ is Ford’s brand name, so it is permanently exclusive to Ford (no other automaker will ever be able to use “SYNC”). The Microsoft Auto operating system platform that SYNC is based on is exclusive to Ford through November of this year. So, Microsoft can offer the platform to other OEMs for integration into their vehicles. But, the features, capabilities, and functionality will be different from Ford SYNC.”
So, look for SRYNC by Microsoft in a Saab near you come Christmas.
I’m with UnclePete (and not just because my name is Peter and I’m also in the computer industry). I find the electronic gizmos distracting from the safety aspects of driving and distracting from the pleasure of driving. The LCD console screens are perhaps the worst offenders. Not only that, but the graphics and animations will look positively ancient in about 5 years.
I can understand the appeal of this stuff, when what used to be “driving pleasure” in what used to be “winding road heaven” now consists of looking at the back of an Expedition between red lights at strip malls.
SunnyvaleCA: Up until a couple years ago, one of my toys was an 89 Riviera. Talk about ancient-looking graphics!
I miss that car.
Did Mr. Hall (full disclosure — a very nice guy that I enjoy drinking with) mention that Sync is only exclusive to Ford for (from what I hear) 18 months? After that, Micro$oft can start sticking it in other makes…
Fiat had the same Microsoft technology BEFORE Ford did.
You seem to forget this enables you to do things WITHOUT your hands leaving the wheel. Even after 500k miles without an accident in a car or on a bike(with hardly a mile below the speed limit outside of traffic), I still keep my hands in the 10-2 even in regular driving in traffic. With SYNC, I put a few thousand songs on a USB thumb drive, and make my entire 35 minute commute without ever touching the stereo. The SYNC, volume, and phone are all handled by my right thumb on the wheel….