Ford acquires Livio to boost in-car connectivity

Ford has acquired startup application developer Livio to further its car connectivity research and products.

In a press release, the automaker said the deal will allow the firms to "share technologies, intellectual properties and engineering talent as they work toward creating an industry standard for in-car connectivity."

Livio builds products and software to support the connection between vehicles and mobile devices. The purchase of the Ferndale, Mich.-based company is meant to accelerate innovation through sharing engineers and intellectual property, as well as creating an industry standard that developers will be able to work with -- boosting the development speed of vehicle-based apps and systems.

Livio software already is compatible with several commonly used apps -- including broadcast systems, music streaming and maps -- and works with all major smartphone devices.

"At Livio, our philosophy is centered on bringing customers more connectivity with less hassle," said Livio CEO Jake Sigal. "We believe this partnership is an excellent match, as it will give us the ability to work with Ford to provide customers even more access to new technologies in the vehicle infotainment space."

Under the terms of the agreement, Livio will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford.

Ford says that by 2015, over 14 million vehicles worldwide will be equipped with the company's Sync connected car systems.

Via: Wired

Image credit: Ford

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com