Ford uploads Australian radio app

FORD MOTOR COMPANY has signed a global agreement to use the Australian-developed miRoamer internet radio app in its SYNC infotainment system.

The agreement was signed with Melbourne information technology specialist Connexion Media which has already signed miRoamer distribution deals with the VW Group and General Motors.

The three deals mean miRoamer will now be available in millions of new cars each year.

The Ford deal comes only weeks after Connexion signed an agreement with another, as yet unnamed, North American car-maker for the distribution of Connexion’s Flex vehicle fleet tracking and monitoring system. For the Ford deal, Connexion has developed iOS and Android versions of miRoamer that are now undergoing final certification and approval processes with Ford.

This means almost any smart phone will be able to link the miRoamer app to the internet and the car’s dashboard.

“This partnership with Ford will see miRoamer incorporated into SYNC and create a seamless, hands-free link between miRoamer and your car,” said Connexion chief executive George Parthimos.

“We look forward to launching the SYNC-enabled miRoamer suite of applications, and are excited with the prospect of potentially releasing other services to the Ford ecosystem.”

The miRoamer app will integrate with the SYNC Applink, enabling drivers to use their smart phones to control the car audio system, steering wheel controls and multifunction display and centre stack.

Any Ford fitted with the SYNC communications and entertainment system will be able to use miRoamer to connect to the internet to to listen to any of the 35,000 radio stations around the world that are narrowcast on the web.

MiRoamer can be customised by drivers to organise their content based on categories such as genre, language and location.

The internet connection can be via the driver’s smart phone or via a separate SIM car embedded in the car, although Mr Parthimos believes the “bring your own device” approach will be the most popular.

VW is making miRoamer available through its Mirrorlink infotainment system, and it is already available in the Passat range, the Beetle and some Skodas.

GM has approved the use of miRoamer and one other Internet based entertainment system in its vehicles.

The car-makers do not pay for the installation of miRoamer. Instead, Connexion earns revenue by placing advertisements in the Internet radio stream, generally as a pre-roll immediately the radio is switched on.

In July, Connexion received its first revenue from a contract to supply its Flex product to a US-based car-maker that will make Flex available through about 4000 dealerships.

The first revenue was for work needed to adapt the Flex system for the car-maker and to establish a 24/7 call centre.

Subscription income from fleet operators using Flex will flow after the product is released later this year.