Speech Strategy News, June 2010
On May 27, Ford
and Microsoft announced new voice-enabled features on Ford, Lincoln, and
Mercury vehicles equipped with the SYNC app Traffic, Directions &
Information (TDI). The new features are an in-network enhancement powered by
Microsoft’s Tellme, one of the partners in Ford’s cloud-based Service
Delivery Network. Any customer that has an active owner account on www.syncmyride.com
will automatically have the new features without purchasing or upgrading
anything. The service uses a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to connect to the
cellular network while in the car.
Ford has expanded SYNC TDI services to include voice
access to stock quotes, entertainment (including horoscopes), travel (airlines,
rental cars, and hotels), and movie categories, in addition to the already
available traffic, directions, news, and business search capabilities. When
users say the “services” voice command, they can ask for “stocks,” horoscopes,”
“movies,” or “travel,” and follow the prompts. They can also create
personalized lists of stocks and horoscopes to follow by visiting their account
on www.syncmyride.com, clicking on the
“Manage favorites” tab and adding their top picks.
Owners of SYNC-equipped 2010 and 2011 Ford,
Lincoln, and Mercury products will have immediate access to the enhanced TDI
services. Current TDI users will hear a special announcement through SYNC
the first time they call in, announcing stocks, movies, horoscopes and travel,
and informing them that they have more choices.
“SYNC is helping us move at a faster pace and
deliver the level of connectivity and access that consumers want,” said Doug
VanDagens, director, Ford Connected Services Organization. “Now, by leveraging
the cloud, we continue to give our customers access to more and more services
without having to touch the vehicle or inconvenience the owner with more
subscription fees.”
The details of the services are as follows:
Stocks
-
Say a company name and receive real-time stock quotes
-
Request other specifics such as the high/low of the day or of a 52-week period,
share volume, market cap, and price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio
Horoscopes
-
Speak an astrological sign to hear the daily horoscope
-
Hear a list of astrological signs
Movies
-
Search for movie theaters near the customer’s current location or a provided
city
-
Receive lists of new releases
-
Say a movie name and receive rating information and theater names where movies
are playing
-
Request movie times at a location for today, tomorrow, or the next day
Travel
-
Request to be directly connected to 150 airlines, the 50 largest hotel chains
and the 11 largest rental car agencies in the U.S.
