Ford has rolled out the red carpet to app developers with the launch of the Ford Developer Program, an initiative that will make it radically easier for software developers to build the next ‘killer app’ to enhance the Ford driving experience.
This week’s announcement, at the 2013 International CES, marks the first time that a car maker has opened its arms to developers in this way to help with developing applications that can work with, in this case, Ford’s SYNC connectivity system.
“The Ford Developer Program marks a dramatic shift in how we will innovate new features to add value to our vehicles throughout the ownership period,” said Hau Thai-Tang, vice president of engineering, Ford Global Product Development. “Opening the car to developers gives consumers a direct voice and hand in the creation of apps that can help our products remain relevant, up to date and valuable to our customers.”
The initiative is similar to those at tech companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook. App developers who want to enable their creations can now register online to download Ford’s AppLink SDK, which contains code libraries and documentation for the APIs that enable two-way communication between mobile apps and the vehicle.
Thai Tang continued, “When we first introduced SYNC in 2007 there was a need for an appropriate way to connect and control cellphones and digital music players in the car due to the massive consumer adoption trend. Now, with an even faster adoption rate of smartphones, there is a need for a renewed focus on voice control for the unique capabilities of these devices, especially for the use of apps.”
For more information visit https://developer.ford.com/
