Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

CSR will power Ford's communication system

Recent laws enforcing the use of hands-free kits in car have spurred the automotive industry into action, and motoring giant, Ford has teamed up with CSR to produce its SYNC in-car communications and entertainment system.

SYNC uses CSR's BlueCore4-ROM Bluetooth silicon to offer hands-free operation of personal media players (PMPs) and enabled mobile phones, allowing drivers to access music and make calls while on the move.

"Legislation restricting the hand held use of mobile phones whilst driving is becoming increasingly commonplace, and using Bluetooth to enable hands free mobile phone operation is now well established as an alternative," said the VP of CSR's automotive business unit, Rafik Jallad.

The move to integrate hands-free automation into cars could provide a considerable new revenue stream for the Bluetooth market-leading Cambridge firm, according to market research.

"The proportion of cars produced with factory fitted Bluetooth devices is forecast to more than treble during the next five years," said IMS Research's Alex Green.

"Including the aftermarket, in excess of 50 million Bluetooth-enabled products are projected to be sold into the automotive sector in 2010. With its BlueCore range and relationships with companies such as Ford, CSR is well placed to take advantage of this rapidly growing market."

Ford’s SYNC is a fully integrated communications system that can host nearly any PMP and most USB storage devices. The system uses CSR’s technology to act as a hands free car kit for mobile phone calls, enabling the automatic access of names and numbers on a mobile phone’s SIM-based address book into the vehicle using the Bluetooth protocol stack software in conjunction with the firmware running on BlueCore4 silicon.

The system will be integrated into 12 of Ford's models in 2008, and will be available, or standard, in nearly every Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle in the US by the end of the year.