Ford Produces Three Millionth

SYNC-equipped Vehicle Powered by

Microsoft

Built on Windows Embedded Automotive, Ford’s Overview

Award-Winning, Value-Driven Connectivity System Country or Region: United States
Improves Consumer Perception Industry: Automotive
Ever since Henry Ford built the world’s first manufacturing
Customer Profile
assembly line in 1913, the Ford Motor Company has been a symbol Ford Motor Company is a global
of innovation worldwide. automotive industry leader,
manufacturing and distributing
In the 21st century, Ford is breaking new ground in telematics. vehicles in 200 markets across six
Partnering with Microsoft, Ford created SYNC, its best-selling continents.

infotainment system to date. At the heart of SYNC is Microsoft Business Situation

Windows Embedded Automotive, which delivers a powerful and Ford wanted to develop an easy-to-
use in-car infotainment system that
reliable platform with numerous connectivity options and turns would allow users to make hands-
SYNC into a gateway for phones, digital music players, and more. free calls and control music and
other functions with simple voice
SYNC has not only helped sell more Ford cars, but it has also commands.
strengthened consumer perceptions of Ford as a leader in safety,
Solution
quality, and smart technology. Windows Embedded Automotive
provides Ford with a market-proven
“Ford SYNC has helped us grow, strengthen, and platform for building an
infotainment system, including
differentiate our company’s brand in North America – as
powerful development tools that cut
well as enhance the perception of Ford as an innovator. time to market while inspiring
We’re looking forward to extending both SYNC and our innovation.
brand to global markets.”
Paul Mascarenas, Vice President of Engineering for Global Product Benefits
Development, Ford Motor Company  Proven platform that meets
automotive standards for
reliability
 Fast development with reference
hardware design
 Agnostic approach to consumer
electronics
Situation behind what they team. We were executive,” says
Ford Motor could find in an impressed by the Wadhwa. “That
Company, a electronics store robust Bluetooth demo helped us “We had confidence that
global across the profiles, fast boot gain internal the native real-time OS
automotive street,” recalls time, and easy- approval.” of Windows Embedded
industry leader Gary Jablonski, to-use interface
Automotive could deliver
based in manager, they Microsoft
Dearborn, Mich., Infotainment demonstrated for representatives
a high level of reliability
manufactures Product us.” sat on Ford’s at a practical cost.”
and distributes Development Digital Lifestyle Jim Buczkowski, Director of Global
automobiles Team, Ford One major hurdle Council, which Electrical & Electronics Systems
across six Motor Company. Microsoft needed facilitated key Engineering, Ford Motor Company
continents. With to overcome was exchanges
about 163,000 The company the question of between the
employees and had a working whether it could companies.
about 70 plants level initiative to deliver the level Microsoft
worldwide, the develop a of reliability intimately
company’s flexible multi- required to learned about
automotive purpose satisfy the the automotive
brands include computing special industry and
Ford and Lincoln. platform that requirements Ford deepened
would allow Ford traditionally met its acumen of the
In 2005, the face to leverage by Tier One software market
of the auto faster software OEMs. These —which in turn
infotainment development include auto- fueled their
market was times to keep grade quality collaboration on
changing rapidly pace with the and parts SYNC.
with the dynamic scheduling, plus
introductions of consumer the need to run “One of the key
GPS systems, electronics reliably for challenges of the
MP3 music market. decades or auto industry is
players, and hundreds of to design
mobile phones – At around the thousands of products with the
and Ford seized same time, Ford miles. reliability of
the opportunity started aerospace at an
to meet growing discussions with affordable, mass-
consumer Microsoft about Ford’s market price,”
demands for in- using Windows acceptance of says Jim
vehicle Embedded Microsoft as a Buczkowski,
connectivity. technologies for Tier One Director of Global
an integrated automotive Electrical &
“Consumers infotainment supplier was Electronics
were not only system. largely based on Systems
having a hard According to Microsoft’s past Engineering,
time using Sukhwinder experiences with Ford Motor
mobile devices Wadhwa, Fiat Blue&Me Company. “We
like iPods and manager, SYNC and other had confidence
cell phones once Platform & pioneering in- that the native
they got behind Technologies, vehicle real-time OS of
the wheel of a Ford Motor telematics Windows
vehicle, they Company, “Gary projects. “The Embedded
were frustrated and I took the Microsoft team Automotive could
because the first trip up to literally ‘forced’ a deliver a high
technology they Redmond to Blue&Me system level of reliability
found in cars at meet with the into a Ford at a practical
the Ford and entire Windows Taurus and we cost.”
Lincoln Embedded showed it to
dealerships was Automotive every major
Solution and upgraded to vehicle differentiated
The decision by meet new communications Ford.”
Ford to use market and
Windows demands.” entertainment A $70 million co-
Embedded system. branded and
Automotive to SYNC provides integrated
power a low cost drivers with marketing
infotainment The third key hands-free voice- campaign
device with innovation was activated control leveraged the
broad market Ford’s concept of over mobile global
appeal was the enabling phones and recognition of
first convenient digital music Microsoft brand
development hands-free use of players, and name with the
breakthrough. cell phones and automatically tagline “SYNC,
media devices connects phones powered by
Both Ford and with voice and music Microsoft.”
Microsoft used recognition players with the By the end of
market research technology. in-vehicle 2009, SYNC was
to determine microphone and available on over
that customer “The sound system. 20 of Ford’s
priorities in the development SYNC was the passenger
car were shifting process began first infotainment vehicle models,
to media devices with an existing system to use with the feature
and cell phones. reference new media “take-rate”
“We concluded hardware design transports to averaging
that Microsoft that helped work with the approximately
had an agnostic shave weeks, if most popular 70% across the
approach that not months, from media players, line-up.
would allow us to our development including Apple
build a platform timeline, iPod and Apple Benefits
connecting to “estimates iPhone, Microsoft Windows
any consumer Jablonski. “The Zune, and MTP Embedded
device,” remarks comprehensiven devices. Automotive has
Buczkowski. ess of the delivered several
Windows In 2007, Ford important
A second key Embedded introduced SYNC business and
innovation was Automotive across multiple technology
the idea to platform feature mainstream and benefits to Ford
create a set also saved us luxury vehicle and its
“gateway” that from having to product lines, customers.
decouples the develop dozens including the
automotive and of components new 2008 Focus Ford enjoys a
consumer from scratch. sedan and more nimble
electronic cycles. From start to coupe. “We supply chain
“The auto finish, it took wanted to since it works
industry is like a about 14 months democratize the directly and
slow turning to complete the technology and collaboratively
gear, whereas development give people with its software
the consumer project – we access to supplier, instead
electronics finished it right technology that of having this
changes rapidly,” on schedule,” he makes their key relationship
observes adds. driving controlled by Tier
Buczkowski. “The experience One OEMs. “This
Microsoft In March 2007, better,” states is a more cost-
platform serves Ford introduced Buczkowski. effective
as the gear in SYNC, a factory- “This ‘go big’ relationship and
between that can installed fully strategy it means that
be developed integrated in- Microsoft makes
platform Development, satisfaction with
technology SYNC, based on Ford Motor our in-vehicle
choices that are Windows Company. infotainment
best for Ford Embedded “Customers system,” says
instead of the Automotive, clearly want Jablonski.
Tier One,” states delivers real SYNC and are
Buczkowski. value to Ford prepared to pay Ford’s ability to
customers. Ford for it because we surprise and
Windows has tracked delivered great delight
Embedded business success technology at customers with
Automotive metrics from excellent value SYNC is most
technology several sources for the money. evident in the
allows Ford to be and reports that This positive voice recognition SYNC-equipped 2008 Ford Focus
more innovative the turnover rate revenue technology
and speed up its of SYNC- generation is the developed by
product refresh equipped hard line Nuance. Among
cycle. “Windows vehicles on connection to Ford customers
Embedded dealer lots is Ford’s corporate who have SYNC
Automotive’s rich twice that of business plan,” on their vehicles
development vehicles without he adds. – and use its
tools and API SYNC. Also, the voice command
allow us to resale value of Buczkowski features – 87%
develop new SYNC-equipped concurs: “SYNC are satisfied with
applications that vehicles is more drives traffic to how the system
synchronize with than $200 our dealers operates, and
social media greater than because people 88% would
programs, such vehicles without hear about it and recommend the
as text-to-speech SYNC. And after then they want purchase of a
access to Twitter receiving SYNC to experience it vehicle with
via OpenBeak,” demonstrations, for themselves. SYNC to others.
says Wadhwa. 80% of potential People will Hands-free
“Pandora customers report consider buying calling is used
Internet radio is it improves their a Ford vehicle daily by two-
another example opinion of Ford, specifically thirds of SYNC
of a cutting edge while 70% are because of SYNC, users, with 89%
application more likely to which is using the feature
within SYNC.” consider something we at least once a
purchasing a didn’t expect week.
Another SYNC-equipped even in our most
revolutionary vehicle. optimistic “We know that
benefit of using forecasts.” more than half of
Windows “SYNC is drivers use
Embedded absolutely In a noteworthy SYNC’s voice- “SYNC drives traffic to
Automotive is impacting our milestone, SYNC activated dialing our dealers because
that Ford top line revenue was installed on features, helping
people hear about it and
customers can in terms of the 3-millionth them keep their
use a built-in improved vehicle vehicle less than eyes on the road
then they want to
USB port and sales, net a year after and hands on the experience it for
their own transaction hitting the two steering wheel,” themselves. People will
memory stick to pricing, and million unit says Wadhwa. consider buying a Ford
update SYNC incremental milestone. “In vehicle specifically
software with revenue from the space of just Looking because of SYNC, which
these new and SYNC services,” three years, from Ahead
exciting calculates Paul 2005-2008, we In August 2010,
is something we didn’t
applications Mascarenas, Vice went from last Ford launched expect even in our most
without having to President of place to first the second- optimistic forecasts.”
take their vehicle Engineering for place with regard generation
to the dealer. Global Product to customer version of SYNC,
MyFord Touch, Automotive 7, throughout the joint efforts of Windows Embedded
demonstrating introduced in OS. Ford and Windows Embedded is a high-performance
and highly reliable family of products and
the extensibility October 2010, Microsoft,
services used by innovative developers and
and innovation of builds on best-of- A new Microsoft Mascarenas OEMs to deliver devices that stand out
the Windows breed phone, TellMe Speech concludes: “Ford through rich user experiences and seamless
Embedded media, and radio Engine stack is SYNC has helped connections to the world of Windows. The
Automotive support. It also fully integrated us grow, Windows Embedded family of products
includes Windows Embedded Automotive,
platform. introduces new for voice strengthen, and
Windows Embedded Compact (the next
capabilities that controlled differentiate our generation of Windows Embedded CE),
MyFord Touch enable vehicle- interfaces. There company’s brand Windows Embedded Enterprise, Windows
first launched on centered, is support for a in North America Embedded Handheld, Windows Embedded
the 2011 Ford connected broad set of – as well as POSReady, Windows Embedded Server, and
Windows Embedded Standard.
Edge (and as software-plus- worldwide enhance the
MyLincoln Touch services languages, while perception of For more information visit:
on the 2011 designed to SAPI 5.41 Ford as an www.microsoft.com/embedded
Lincoln MKX), transform driver support creates a innovator. We’re
then on the 2011 and passenger pluggable looking forward For More Information
Ford Explorer, experiences. architecture for to extending For more information about Microsoft
products and services, call the Microsoft
followed by the choice of speech both SYNC and
Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400.
all-new 2012 Windows recognition and our brand to In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada
Ford Focus. Automotive 7 text-to-speech global markets.” Information Centre at (877) 568-2495.
MyFord Touch offers an engines. Keywords: Automotive; In- Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
redesigns the in- extensible UI vehicle infotainment
can reach Microsoft text telephone
(TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the
car interface, framework via Looking back at
United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada.
mirroring how Silverlight for the success Outside the 50 United States and Canada,
consumers Windows achieved by the  please contact your local Microsoft
interact with Embedded. User subsidiary. To access information using the
most devices in experiences can World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com

their lives by be refined

For more information about Ford products
using touch- rapidly with the and services, visit the Web site at:
sensitive Expression www.ford.com
buttons, touch Blend-Visual
screens and Studio toolset on
voice the desktop and
recognition. deployed
unchanged to
Microsoft also the target
continues to device.
innovate in the
in-vehicle Developing
technology immersive
space, adding experiences with
more of the natural input is
features wanted eased by an HMI
by both Bezel simulator
automobile and integrated
drivers and multi-touch input
manufacturers. capabilities
Windows

Software and Services Hardware

 Windows Embedded Automotive
 Microsoft Visual Studio
 400MHz Freescale i.MX31L
processor with an ARM 11 CPU core
 256MB of 133MHz DDR SDRAM;
2GB of NAND flash memory
 Bluetooth; USB; high-speed and This case study is for informational purposes only.
MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
medium-speed vehicle CAN-buses IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published January 2011