SAN FRANCISCO - During his keynote address at CTIA Wireless, a Ford Motor Co. executive discussed the automaker's plans of incorporating mobile technology into the driving experience to keep up with tech-savvy consumers.

Ford is incorporating Sync into its vehicles, a mobile technology platform that lets drivers access features and applications on their smartphones while keeping their eyes on the road. The company is looking to reinvent the driving experience, while keeping safety top of mind.

?There are different features with our new interface,? said Derrick M. Kuzak, group vice president of global development at Ford, Dearborn, MI. ?We?re turning the smartphone into a wireless router.

?We are going to turn the car into a mobile hotspot with our new Wi-Fi preinstalled in the car,? he said. ?We are moving closer to the speed of user electronics and wireless networks."

Ford's Sync technology is powered by Microsoft.

The automaker tapped Microsoft Advertising to build awareness for the Ford Sync product via branded experiences for MSN, XBox Live and mobile (see story).

Mobile cars
According to Mr. Kuzak, 36 percent of mobile device owners who have applications use them while commuting.

The car has become a new gateway for wireless services, per Mr. Kuzak.

Drivers can use their smartphone to answer calls without having to touch the device.

Consumers can browse their phonebook, see who is calling them and view their call log.

Additionally, there is an audible text-message feature, where Sync reads incoming texts to the consumer.

There are also 15 generic responses that consumers can text back.

?It?s about making it easy for drivers to safely do everything they want to do,? Mr. Kuzak said. ?We have an app ecosystem and we used a built-in, brought-in, beamed-in strategy.

?It?s the integration of the entire in-car experience,? he said. ?The technology connects to your mobile device and lets you control it via the wheel or access it through voice command.?

Mobile collaboration
Mr. Kuzak said that it all comes down to commitment and collaboration.

?For nearly 80 years now, people have been able to multitask in their cars,? Mr. Kuzak said. ?We want to keep eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

?We share a common customer with the wireless industry,? he said. ?Customers who own smarpthones and Ford vehicles demand for them to work beautifully.

?Ford is looking for a lot of people who do not know what can be done ? the only way we can give our shared customer an experience is by working together.?

Safety apps
Many of the Ford vehicles include applications such as 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report.

?911 Assist is one of the handiest apps you hope you never need,? Mr. Kuzak said. ?It automatically reports accidents to the 911 operator ? it provides GPS data to first responders.

?There is also the Vehicle Health Report that helps monitor and manage vehicle health,? he said.

The Vehicle Health Report application provides diagnostic notifications to the driver.

The application will also text the driver if there are any problems or if the car needs to be repaired.

In addition, users can connect their smartphone to their car and access the applications they have on their mobile device via the vehicle's dashboard.

?These are beamed-in applications that are available through a cloud-based service delivery network and accessed through a consumer?s phone,? Mr. Kuzak said.

?We want to give users on-demand access,? he said. ?And we can enrich the Sync experience just by adding more apps to the service delivery network."