Hyundai and Kia cars to add Microsoft voice technology

By Tim Conneally, BetaNews

May 6, 2008, 10:30 AM

Like Fiat and Ford automobiles, South Korean Hyundai and Kia vehicles will receive their own version of Microsoft's hands-free media player and mobile phone interface by November, the companies said.

Late Yesterday, South Korea's Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, and Microsoft announced a partnership that will outfit the manufacturer's Hyundai and Kia vehicles with hands-free cell phone and media player controls beginning in November. Voice response-equipped automobiles are expected to hit the market in 2010.

Microsoft-powered Sync was launched by Ford Motor Company at the beginning of this year, promising at least twelve automobiles that would come factory equipped with the in-car voice-activated entertainment and communications interface by Fall. Ford had recently been boasting about the deal's exclusivity, although today's announcement does omit specific mention of the "Sync" brand currently used in reference to the technology in Ford vehicles.

The Microsoft Auto in-car system had been in development for nearly four years, and included a collaboration in Europe with auto manufacturer Fiat. The two companies planned to release a telematics system in 2005, but the Blue&Me in-car communication system did not launch until 2006. By 2007, features were added to include carbon dioxide emissions level collection and GPS navigation.

iSuppli put together an estimated bill-of-materials for Ford's Sync and concluded that the whole hands-free mobile phone interface and portable media player controller costs the auto company around $30 for components, and around $125 including license, design and development. With such a low pricetag, it was only a matter of time before other companies received similar functionality, and unlike the company's "lifetime" arrangement with Fiat, Ford only had a one-year exclusivity license for Microsoft's technology.