Ford, GM Open Their Dashboards to Outside Developers

Automakers, hoping to get ahead of the technology curve for once, are opening their dashboards and APIs to outside developers in a bid to ramp up the number of apps you can use behind the wheel.


Ford and General Motors rolled into CES saying they want to make it easier than ever for developers to create apps that will make their infotainment systems more entertaining, more engaging and more useful.

The moves are desperately needed, because developers have been slow to code for cars. Ford introduced its Sync AppLink platform here in Las Vegas three years ago and, like similar systems from its competitors, supports only a handful of apps, primarily for audio streaming. That’s got to change, which is why the Motown rivals announced development platforms designed to accelerate app integration and turn the trickle into a torrent. The announcements underscore just how important the infotainment space has become for automakers.

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