Fairfax Radio Network’s suite of station apps are now available in Ford SYNC AppLinkTM-enabled vehicles.
This allows users with compatible smartphone apps to use the car’s display screen, steering wheel-mounted buttons and voice control system to interact with mobile apps, all whilst keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Ford SYNC AppLink is available on Fiesta, Focus ST, EcoSport, Ford Kuga, Ranger and Transit range of vehicles.
When a compatible phone is connected, users can activate compatible mobile apps by pressing the voice button and simply saying the name of the app. Once the app is open, control is passed to steering wheel- mounted buttons and SYNC’s voice control with app information is displayed on SYNC’s centre display screen.
Fairfax Radio Network station iOS apps accessible on Ford SYNC AppLink include Sydney’s 2UE, Melbourne’s 3AW and Magic 1278, Brisbane’s 4BC and Magic 882, Perth’s 6PR and NTS.
To date, more than one million Ford SYNC AppLink-enabled vehicles have been sold worldwide.
“We are excited to work with Ford to integrate Fairfax Radio Network’s app suite with the Ford SYNC AppLink platform,” Fairfax Radio Network Technology Director Joe Sexton said.
“The system gives our audience another way to connect and engage with our content easily, all without taking their eyes away from the road. It also extends the reach of our advertising partners and complements any in-app activity they have.”
Ford Asia Pacific Supervisor, Multimedia Systems, Adrian McGibbon, said: “Ford SYNC AppLink enhances the in-car experience for our customers. We are delighted to enrich that offer with the Fairfax Radio Network suite of apps.”
Fairfax Radio Network’s apps on both iOS and Android offer up-to-the-minute news featuring rich audio, video and high definition imagery; live audio streaming, including the ability to live-pause; live video streaming from the News Talk broadcast studios; hourly local news audio on- demand; local weather updates from Fairfax Media’s Weatherzone; and full station program guides.
Fairfax Radio Network apps have attracted 441,684 total unique users and 522,390 average monthly sessions*.
*Source: Flurry Analytics, all Fairfax Radio Network apps, January 2015.