Aha by Harman Added to Ford SYNC AppLink

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Ford SYNC users will have tens of thousands of Web-based audio stations at their fingertips

Aha by HARMAN™ and Ford today announce Ford will offer Aha to drivers via its SYNC^® AppLink^™ system. Aha's free service offers more than 30,000 audio stations that Ford SYNC users can tune in to while driving by using simple voice commands.

Aha uses the cloud to safely enable Web-based entertainment and information in vehicles using a radio-like format that is familiar to drivers. With Aha, Ford drivers can use voice commands to access their favorite Internet music services, radio stations, news, entertainment, audiobooks, Facebook and Twitter feeds, customized "Hungry," "Coffee" and "Hotel" stations, weather and more. Aha continually adds new stations spanning from the most popular mainstream media to unique long-tail content. With so much to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Ford SYNC users can download the free Aha app for iPhone or Android and set their favorite content as preset stations. In the vehicle, Aha connects to SYNC AppLink via Bluetooth^® for Android users and USB for iPhone users. Once connected, the Aha presets can be easily and safely selected through the SYNC system using voice commands, steering wheel buttons or the car's head unit controls. Examples of voice commands include "Play NPR" to hear radio, "Find restaurants" to find the best restaurants from Yelp or "Check Facebook" to hear fresh status updates. When they arrive at their destination and exit the car, drivers can continue listening to Aha on their smartphone.

"Aha offers a wide array of news and information that consumers use on a daily basis," said Doug VanDagens, global director of Ford Connected Services. "Now, with the voice-activated capability of SYNC AppLink, Ford owners can access their favorite content while keeping their eyes on the road ahead and their hands on the steering wheel while driving."

"Aha connects drivers to the Web in a way that makes sense at 65 mph and together, working with Ford, we are advancing driver connectivity," said Robert Acker, vice president of Connectivity for Harman. "We look forward to the day drivers of any vehicle can safely access their favorite Web content using Aha. By developing for the Ford SYNC AppLink platform, Aha is a big step closer to reaching that goal."

SYNC AppLink is available on more than 1 million vehicles; it is available on 2013 Fiesta, Mustang, Expedition, Fusion, F-150, Super Duty, Focus, E-Series and C-MAX.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 172,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

About Aha by HARMAN
Aha, a unit of HARMAN International Industries, is the interactive service that makes Web content as easy and safe to use as radio. Aha uses the Harman Cloud Platform to organize content from the Web into personalized radio stations that consumers can listen to from anywhere – at home, on the go, or safely from the driver's seat. By the end of 2013, more than ten automotive manufacturers will launch vehicles using Aha to enable safe access to Web content for drivers, including Acura, Ford, Honda, Porsche and Subaru. The Aha platform and service was started in 2008 in Silicon Valley by a group of Web and multimedia veterans with a shared passion for delivering an "always on" audio experience to connect drivers to the content they really want. HARMAN, the company that designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, acquired Aha in September 2010. For more information, visit www.aharadio.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company