The 2013 International CES was home to a couple of noteworthy auto-related announcements (Toyota's self-driving car, for example), but while Ford and General Motors declined to jump into that pool just yet, they did announce plans to open up their vehicles to any third party developer motivated to supply them with apps.
In short, the effort to turn your car's dashboard into an infotainment center has begun in earnest.
Ford's initiative in particular is impressive, since the company is not only offering its Sync AppLink architecture to third parties, but also it has declared its willingness to license AppLink out to competing automakers in an attempt to establish itself as the Android of automobiles. Considering that each car company has its own programs, developing apps for more than one can be difficult, limiting the amount of people that can be reached.
"We want to create the highest-volume architecture in the industry," Doug VanDagens, Ford's director of connected services, said to Wired. "The ease at which [developers] can develop is important to them, and we believe we're leading in tools and implementation."
A couple of obstacles are in the way of Ford's dream, however. For one thing, many automotive companies have invested significant amounts of time and money into their own systems and may not be willing to toss them aside in order to license Ford's technology. Secondly, companies worry about unforeseen circumstances that may crop up should they agree to license AppLink. Will they get updates as soon as they're available? Or would they have to wait until Ford is ready to release it to them?
These questions have yet to be answered, but Ford is still forging ahead with plans to expand AppLink's functionality. The company is reportedly focusing on three areas for app development: news and information, music and entertainment, and navigation and location. According to a separate Wired article, "the automaker will "instantly deny" apps that incorporate video, excessive text and gaming in a bid to reduce the risk of distracted driving."
Ford isn't the only company looking to expand its dashboard, though. GM also announced it'll offer easy development avenues for third parties interested in creating apps for its vehicle infotainment systems. GM claims its plans will mean a larger variety of apps will be available faster than before.
