Ford Adds New Services to SYNC, No Extra Fees

American manufacturer Ford announced today it has released new services for SYNC app Traffic, Directions & Information (TDI) owners, such as horoscopes, stock quotes, movie listings and access to airlines, rental cars and hotels. What is really interesting is that Ford is not charging users extra for the newly launched services. In fact, all they need is an active owner account at the following link.

“SYNC is helping us move at a faster pace and deliver the level of connectivity and access that consumers want,” Doug VanDagens, director at Ford Connected Services Organization, said in a release. “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 new services join the existing traffic, directions, news and business search SYNC TDI capabilities. They are provided by Microsoft Tellme, one of the many partners in Ford’s cloud-based Service Delivery Network, which gives SYNC users the ability to use a simple Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to connect and voice-request the information they want while in the car.

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,” added VanDagens.

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 syncmyride.com, clicking on the “Manage favorites” tab and adding their top picks.