Ford Sync is Helping Make Ford Relevant Again

Now I’m definitely not a car guy, but there’s one thing that’s kept my interest during car commercials lately.  The hands-free media technology, Ford Sync, is revolutionary and a big contributor to restoring Ford’s tarnished reputation.

We’ve seen how much American car manufacturers have been struggling lately – highlighted by GM’s huge free fall.  There were many different contributing factors including rising health care costs, a focus on big cars and SUV’s at a time when gas costs were the highest ever, a reliance on huge factories when demand was falling, etc.  But the biggest problem with American automakers was the lack of innovation.  Chrysler, Ford, and GM were profitable for so long that they became completely set in their ways.  They did the same things with the same workforce.  The only changes were slight manufacturing improvements, and minor design differences.  There were no game changing innovations, and that’s exactly what American automakers needed.

Enter Ford Sync.  This wireless media technology allows you to hook up your mobile phone and MP3 player to your car’s dashboard so that you can operate everything via voice command.  First of all, this helps make you a safer driver.  You no longer need to dial numbers on your cell phone or even hold it to your ear while driving.  Ford Sync also allows you to send hands-free text messages which is a huge benefit since texting while driving has been compared to drunk driving.  The other major benefit is that Ford Sync allows you to stay connected when you’re commuting.  With Twitter, Facebook, and social media becoming a major part of our lives it’s sometimes difficult for some people to go without checking their networks.  With the new Ford Sync API, many of these applications will be soon built into Ford Sync directly.

Like I said earlier, I’m not a car guy at all.  I’ve had my ’96 Corsica for over 6 years now and I don’t feel any real urgency to trade up.  I honestly have no idea whether Ford Sync would be practical for me because I haven’t looked into the kind of cars it works in or more importantly the price.  But I do know that when I start looking for a new car that a car with Ford Sync will be one of the first that I look at.  For me, I really don’t care much what my car looks like or how fast it goes.  All I need is for it to get me from point A to point B efficiently and safely.  I’d also like my commute to not feel so wasted.  Besides listening to audio programs, there’s not much I can do in the car without risking my safety.  Now that I have my Motorola Droid I’m definitely guilty of texting at times and even attempting to read emails.  I know that’s not very safe so I’d love to be able to do that hands-free.  The thing is, I know I’m not near the worst offender.  Connected, hands-free technology is a huge need for our generation.

Ford Sync alone is not enough to return Ford, and American automaking back to prominence.  The biggest positive is that Ford broke from its traditional path and caught onto a major trend.  This is only the start of more good things to come.