Ford: Outsiders Will Dictate Success of Telematic Features

It's time for carmakers to recognize that companies outside the traditional auto industry will determine how well in-car telematic services work.

"It's pretty clear the mobile digital economy is not in our hands," says Jim Farley, who heads global marketing at Ford Motor Co. He tells reporters at a connected-car expo ahead of the Los Angeles auto show that the real value in connected-car features will be determined by software giants such as Google and Microsoft.

Farley notes that consumers expect in-car features such as navigation to work as well in a car as they do on a smartphone. That hasn't been the case for most carmakers, whose most frequent product complaints are about electronic features. Ford's own struggles with its MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch system, for example, have caused the company's customer satisfaction scores to plummet.

Farley says the auto industry and tech companies are at a "tipping point" and realize they must collaborate more closely. He suggests the two begin by optimizing in-car navigation systems.

But doing so means both sides must change, he says. Farley notes that carmakers are abandoning proprietary software platforms for open-architecture alternatives, which make it easier to integrate personal electronic devices with a car's audio/display system.

But he also says software companies must do their part by becoming more flexible about the interfaces they offer.