Sync technology set to branch out

Ford Motor Co. is about to lose the digital edge it's had since last year, when it began offering Sync wireless technology in vehicles.

Microsoft Corp., which developed Sync with Ford, announced that it has entered into a long-term agreement with the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group to co-develop the next generation of in-car systems on the Microsoft Auto operating system.

The deal comes as Ford's exclusive license for the technology ends later this year.

Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft's automotive business unit, said the latest version of Microsoft Auto, the operating system on which Sync is built, will soon be available for "general release to the automotive community."

That means the technology that Ford branded Sync could be available industrywide next year.

The Hyundai-Kia deal promises to bring "a next-generation infotainment system" to the North American market in 2010. Microsoft says that future technology will be similar to a "mini-PC" that allows new functions to be added via software updates.

Thall said, however, that the most recent Microsoft Auto operating system is already being delivered to some suppliers, with an official launch date slated for later this month in Detroit.