Ford Enhances SYNC 911 Assist

With the occasion of the National Emergency Number Association 2010 conference, Ford is announcing the addition of a new capability for its SYNC 911 Assist application, in the form of the communication of a vehicle’s location using GPS coordinates provided to emergency responders.

“When the feature is turned on and a phone is Bluetooth-paired to SYNC, 911 Assist can make a call directly to a local emergency operator in the event of an accident involving the activation of an airbag or emergency fuel pump shutoff. With the GPS capabilities, the system is designed to not only alert the operator that a crash has occurred in a Ford vehicle, but to give the operator the option to retrieve the vehicle’s GPS coordinates. The call is fast, direct, and doesn’t involve a separate call center or intermediary,” stated the press release.

The new feature is a non-subscription app and is offered at no additional fee. The system, which uses the user’s existing mobile phone is offered in the U.S. and Canada. For certain 2011 model year vehicles, the GPS coordinates are generated by the vehicle’s onboard GPS receiver, providing a greater accuracy.

“Integrated GPS is a logical next step for 911 Assist, leveraging the GPS hardware that is now included with SYNC,” said Gary Jablonski, manager for the Ford Infotainment Product Development Team. “That’s the beauty of the SYNC platform – it can quickly adapt to and accommodate new technologies, features and services that provide great value to customers without great additional costs.”