Ford Sync Dash User Interface (from Jalopnik)

Since I have started working at Ogilvy 360 on social media for Ford, I thought it worth going back and digging up my notes from the SXSW Interactive session back in March earlier this year; “Dude, this is my car” on Day 1: Friday March 12: 2.00: #SXSW #dudethisismycar

It was my first SXSW session and I was suffering little from jet-lag but here is some of what I gleaned;

Both of the session’s panelists were from Ford US;  Paddy Srinivasan and TJ Giuli (interviewed here) and here’s some of what they covered;

The reason Ford were presenting at an interactive conference is because of Ford’s approach to technology in the car with includes developing software platforms that allow for external apps to be developed. The exemplar being the Ford and Microsoft partnership to develop Sync: an in-car technology platform.

What was really sexy about this was that earlier at CES it was announced that this platform would also allow smartphone apps to be accessed…so alongside the Apple App store, Android’s Marketplace, Nokia’s Ovi and Blackberry, Palm and Samsung et al it looks like we we could now have one for Ford’s sync. (Note: Since SXSW things have obviously moved on and there are now moves at Ford to get this off the ground; reg here for updates)

The issue with having an apps eco-system is that it needs to be populated. You only need to look at Apple’s iPhone advertising to see that they rely heavily on the content and functionality provided by the apps to attract an audience. (Link to adverts). So one of the things Ford is doing is making their apps software development packages (SDK’s) available to students.

Ford is doing this by developing Fiestaware. In a partnership with the Uni of Michigan and others they are encouraging students to create apps for the new Fiesta. And as befits a student audience, there is a big focus on social apps with integration with FourSquare, twitter and Facebook. The apps are enabled by a 3G mobile broadband internet connection.

More about this program can be read here and also here in this Wired article.

Srinivasan and Giuli also talked about other Ford app environments such as the Smartguage on the Ford Fusion which allows drivers to choose how much data and what data to display on the dash in four modes;
Inform: Fuel level and battery charge status
Enlighten: Adds electric vehicle mode indicator and tachometer
Engage: Adds engine output power and battery output power
Empower: Adds power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory power consumption

There is some more detail on this here on Jalopnik.

In terms of where this could go the panelists were interested in exploring more of the social opportunities this data could provide;

They gave the example of performance enthusiasts at a track day who could record their car’s telemetry outputs and then share those results with other drivers from the same day or track and compare results. It seems a pretty niche application until you think about the increased interest that a lot of drivers are going to have in driving more cost efficiently or more environmentally responsibly. The ability to track, store and compare your telemetry in this instances might have a wider appeal.

The other example they talked through would certainly have wide appeal;  driver’s would be able to reach out to the cloud and bring in data about their location that is personalised to their interests; the notable architecture they are passing, what happened here in history in this area and of course nearby restaurants. Instead of the grinding boredom of two hour I-spy sessions, a holiday trip in the car could become a moving history lesson, a Mastermind quiz and yet another opportunity for sibling rivalry. A whole layer of augmented reality apps could transform the process of A to B into really immersive, and actually interesting experiences. I must admit, as a new parent, the prospect of eliminating the age-old whine of “when do we get there” is pretty tantalising. Not to mention the prospect of a running commentary of what follies are near by.

The session ended with questions from the floor which started off with a lot of the inevitable safety queries. Given the tech start-up audience it was pretty disappointing that this was the tack they took, rather then exploring some of the possibilities of the latest and truly mobile app store. So it was at this point that I lost interest and wandered off to see Douglas Rushkoff.