From Ford’s Press Release:

SYNC TDI leverages a customer’s existing mobile phone; includes an integrated GPS receiver to connect customers to real-time turn-by-turn driving directions, traffic reports and business searches; offers extra features and applications such as favorite news, sports and weather; and provides seamless voice-control of all these functions while in the vehicle – at no subscription cost for the first three years of vehicle ownership.

This is another feather in the cap of Ford’s effort to bring low cost advanced technologies into the vehicle.  The TDI system leverages the Ford Service Delivery Network to provide access to real-time information without the need for additional and expensive hardware.  Sync users can go to the syncmyride.com website, download the update to a USB drive and execute the update in the car.  It could only be simpler if it was over-the-air…why isn’t it OTA?

The features are all accessible through voice commands (using the Microsoft TellMe portal) to request specific information which is then sent as a text message (usually within 30-45 seconds) to the customers phone and read over the in-vehicle speakers using Sync’s text-to-speech system (a neat little way to deliver the information without distracting the driver).

Turn-by-turn directions are downloaded from Telenav and delivered over vehicle audio system (using the system’s built-in GPS receiver as the location reference for the system).  Real-time traffic information is provided by Inrix and their network of on-vehicle GPS probes.

The system can also be customized by voice commands or through the web to feature topics of interest to the driver (e.g. sports teams, weather in a particular city, a particular type of news, etc).

Conclusion

It’s an impressive amount of functionality for a system built around the user’s cellphone, data-over-voice technology and a platform without a screen!  As with the rest of the Sync system Ford has skipped the way OEMs are usually delivering services in favor of an opt-in feature at no cost.  Preliminary reviews about the system are mixed and there is some concern over the ability to effectively provide turn-by-turn directions without a screen.    Once again the user has the option of using the system or not, but either way it doesn’t cost them anything (which is really the key to providing an ‘ok’ service instead of a perfect one).

Related posts:

1. Ford Sync Feature Spotlight: Service Delivery Network
2. MyFord Touch Feature Spotlight: Navigation
3. Ford Sync Feature Spotlight: Send-to-SYNC

WiFi Receiver

The Wi-Fi receiver allows your vehicle, when parked, to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots within range, and to enable the built-in browser (accessed using the system’s 8″ touch screen).  This means each equipped vehicle is, at the least, a giant rolling netbook (again, that can only be used while parked).  This means even people without mobile broadband will have some form of ‘mobile’ access to the internet.  Imagine sitting outside a Starbucks drinking your coffee in the car while using the Wi-Fi instead (no people bothering you and you’d get to pick your own music).

In combination with the recently announced Ford Sync API the Wi-Fi will eventually be used for a number of different applications. For example, someone could write an application to allow the Sync system to synchronize contacts or media with a home network every time the car is pulled into the driveway. No doubt there will be a plethora of e-mail checking, Facebook updating, geo-tweeting, yada yada yada to keep people distracted connected.

USB Mobile Broadband Support

This is probably the most useful feature of the in vehicle connectivity (and maybe my favorite of the over all system).  Users can connect a USB broadband modem and create a real mobile broadband hotspot (a la Verizon and Sprint MiFi).  Just like the MiFi devices this feature bridges an obvious (and frustrating, for some of us,) gap between cellular broadband and wi-fi technology.

The two USB 2.0 ports included in the MyFord Touch Media Hub let owners leverage a variety of devices, including the mobile broadband modem. And through simple software updates, SYNC can be adapted to connect with the latest devices.

By leveraging the users devices Ford has been able to keep the Sync system relatively low cost and has been able to avoid additional monthly fees.  In supporting the connection of USB mobile broadband modems Ford has ensured that users can make the most of their existing subscription based devices (including sharing the connection like a mobile hotspot with other people in or near the vehicle).  In addition to managing the cost, users will usually be able to migrate to the latest wireless technology and as 4G networks are rolled out (and WiMax and LTE battle) not being locked into any particular technology will prove invaluable.

The system will default to requiring a password to connect and each time a device is connected to the system for the first time the driver will have to specifically approve the device in the system.  This may seem a bit cumbersome to some, but it’s a logical security measure to keep people off your limited mobile broadband bandwidth.

For web browser

Ford says they couldn’t find the right browser so they took the “best ideas from each” and created their own browser.  This is probably true to a large extent, but you have to imagine that if Microsoft wasn’t involved then some form of the Chrome or Firefox browsers would have been reasonable to modify for their purposes.  Hey, at least it’s not Internet Explorer.

For easy navigation, the MyFord Touch browser features an available on-screen touch-sensitive keyboard as well as support for external USB keyboards attached to one of SYNC’s two USB 2.0 ports. Tabbed page navigation and 3D carousel bookmark browsing lets users quickly access pages they’ve visited and stored. Fingertip “drag” movements pan and scroll on displayed pages in a manner similar to that of popular touch-screen mobile devices, and embedded support for multimedia plug-ins like Flash support rich content sites.

The inclusion of USB keyboard and Flash support makes this a truly feasible web browsing experience.

Conclusion

The combination of these features offers the user a well rounded mobile connectivity option.  Given the ‘always-on’ nature of today’s world this platform gives users the flexibility to utilize hotspots, create a mobile hotspot, and share existing connections, all by leveraging existing customer accounts.

Ford continues to lead the charge of cutting edge in-vehicle technology.  In particular the push to integrate existing technologies and leverage customer devices is giving Ford a tactical advantage both in time to market and in supporting future customers.

No doubt this is going to be extremely useful for many people.  The question is will it be useful enough for other companies to follow the lead.   In my opinion, these features are here to stay.

Related posts:

1. Ford Sync Feature Spotlight: HD Radio with iTunes Tagging
2. Ford Sync Feature Spotlight: Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI)
3. Ford Sync Feature Spotlight: 911 Assist + Vehicle Health Reports

Of the 4 3D is the one that wont have any near term impact (if ever) on the automotive telematics market.

We’ve already discussed one way Google is shaping the future of real-time traffic and the additonal handsets being released and sold everyday are only making Google’s universe stronger.

Wireless 3G and 4G are enabling Google which in itself is further enabling additional geo-location technologies.  It always come backs to bandwidth (then money) and telematics are dependent on that pipe into the car.

While at CES I’ll be looking at these technologies and much more.  In particular I’ll be looking for the in-car solution that puts the power of the user experience back in the hands of the user.  THAT is the holy grail of user experience and we’ll discuss it more later.

Related posts:

1. Google Maps Navigation Will Change Mapping in 2010
2. Traffic Data Will Be a Battlezone in 2010
3. Google In Position to Control Mobile Future

This could be the biggest year for automotive telematics in the US ever and not just because most major OEMs are offering some significant telematics package (and Ford’s continued Ford Sync offerings), but also because 3g broadband cellular generally reached its critical mass in 2009 and 4g technology (WiMAX / LTE) are poised to begin their mass market growth in 2010.  The growth of open source operating systems, app stores, and readily available low cost consumer cellular devices (phones, smartphones, netbooks, etc) has brought new customer experiences to the forefront and the automotive telematics industry will have to understand these developments and grow accordingly.

This years CTS highlights conferences on:

• Get to grips with the connected vehicle ecosystem and see why it is even more crucial to put the consumer in the centre!
• Examine which carriers are striking alliances and gaining influence to see who you’ll need to partner with for ultimate market success
• Gauge the smartphone’s impact on the consumer electronics industry to ensure your business is developing competitive solutions
• Learn how to overcome cognitive loading concerns to ensure your business is providing dynamic, innovative and compliant solutions
• Determine how operating systems will be managed and hear which apps will not only migrate to the car but will provide daily relevance
• Understand how to leverage and integrate LBT within existing solutions to build and provide personalized and contextual content

Of particular interest should be the industry reactions to the explosion of the smartphone amongst non-business users, the discussions of the future of open development platform operating systems in the vehicle and thoughts on the evolution of the role of wireless carriers from pure carrier to hybrid wireless carrier / content providers.

The timing of CTS of is no accident.  With CES just around the corner (technically I think it’s up the street) the eyes of the electronic world are already on Las Vegas.  The crossover between automotive telematics and consumer electronics is far from subtle this year with Alan Mulally (Ford President and CEO) giving the opening keynote (undoubtedly with the intention of discussing Ford Sync extensively).

How will open software architecture play a role in the car?  How will manufacturers figure out ways to properly integrate with customers existing electronic lives (from social networking to e-mail)? How will wireless carriers revenue models evolve?  These and many questions will be discussed at CTS, but the customer base and consumer electronics that will drive those decisions will be demonstrated at CES.

Over the next nights and weeks inTelematicstoday.com will focus on the information most relevant to the domestic automotive telematics industry (from hardware and software to customer service and revenue models).  Check back often for updates!

Sister site TechtoLiveBy.com will focus on all things consumer electronics related with a particular interest in elements of technology that integrate with people’s daily life.

Related posts:

1. Convergence is King
2. Telematics – Searching For the Business Case
3. Chrysler’s Connected Vehicle