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Ford's SYNC: A Line in the Sand for Portable Device Interfaces, Says ABI Research

NEW YORK--The integration of portable electronic devices into the motor vehicle is poised to change, from being a sparingly offered, passively supported luxury option, to being an attractive magnet for potential buyers. And one product seems likely to point the way, according to a new report from ABI Research.

Research director Mike Ippoliti says, "As automakers seek not only to offer functionality but to improve the integration of portable entertainment and make it a selling point, the Ford SYNC represents a major shift in OEMs' approach to the consumer electronics community. While some makes have merely supported certain media or devices, Ford’s SYNC is intended to be a selling point, using voice recognition as a technology edge, and breaking the mold of premium-only availability."

ABI Research believes other OEMs, especially in North America, will follow suit. North American shipments of portable media player integration kits will grow very quickly in the short term, due to mass-model commitments from Ford and GM.

The ABI Research study indicates that iPod integration kit shipments will more than double between 2008 and 2010. Global shipments should surpass 11 million vehicles annually by 2011, delivering a market value of over $314 million.

"The real question remaining," adds Ippoliti, "is the form that the iPod connection kit will take. Our forecasts indicate tremendous overlap with USB connectivity, but we easily see this migrating to Bluetooth or other mechanisms over time."

The SYNC fits within the category “Interface with a Portable Device." It is just one of four technological approaches for infotainment which the report identifies, examines, and forecasts with a global perspective. They are:

  • Store content locally, meaning in-car hard disk drives or other memory devices
  • Stream content into the vehicle, meaning broadcasting by satellite, RDS-TMC, and other techniques
  • Pull content into the vehicle, meaning the acquisition of data as needed from the internet or other off-board storage/delivery services, or
  • Interface with a portable device – including Bluetooth and USB connection

In-Vehicle Infotainment Storage and Networking (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/In-Vehicle_Infota inment_Storage_and_Networking) considers storage formats, wired connectivity such as USB, iPod kits, and flash memory slots, wireless connectivity such as Bluetooth and UWB, and even long-range wireless distribution such as cellular networks and digital terrestrial and satellite radio. It examines the acceptance and potential for these technologies in factory automotive production. The research analyzes OEM infotainment strategies, and provides forecasts through 2012.

It forms part of two subscription Research Services: Automotive Electronics Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Automotive_Electronics_Re search_Service) and Automotive Infotainment Research Service (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Automotive_Infotainment_R esearch_Service). (Due to their length, the URLs in this and the above paragraph may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations supporting annual research programs, intelligence services and market reports in broadband and multimedia, RFID & contactless, M2M, wireless connectivity, mobile wireless, transportation, and emerging technologies. For information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.