How important is technology in your vehicle?

If Ford’s success with the Microsoft-developed SYNC system is any indication, there are quite a few drivers out there who insist on great software to keep them connected while on the road.

The Detroit-based automaker recently celebrated the 2-millionth installation of the system.  The lucky car was a Fusion Hybrid, itself a techno wonder of the fuel economy kind.

SYNC is a voice-controlled entertainment and communications system that can read aloud your text messages, provide turn-by-turn directions, dig through your iPod’s music library to find a song, and do much, much more.  The technology is available in a range of vehicles from the Ford Focus to the Mercury Milan to the Lincoln MKT.

Ford appears to have hit a home run with SYNC.  The automaker brags that 87 percent of owners are satisfied with how the system operates and 88 percent would recommend SYNC to others.

Installations of the system are accelerating, too.  SYNC has been around since 2007 and the 2-million installation came less than a year after hitting the 1-million mark.  Ford points out that the system can in some cases raise the resale value of a vehicle by over $200… further noting that SYNC is quite the bargain when you consider that it only costs $395 to begin with.

More importantly for an automaker on the rebound, SYNC seems to be raising people’s opinion of Ford.  Internal data shows that after receiving a demonstration of the technology, 80 percent of potential customers report that it improved their opinion of the brand.

The success of SYNC is obviously good news for Ford, which is in the midst of a blockbuster recovery that began in late 2006 when CEO Alan Mulally took the helm.  It also signals a sea change in the way that manufacturers integrate technology in their vehicles.

Cars, for all their wondrous complexity, have generally lagged behind the rapid-fire consumer electronics industry.  Automakers used to hide behind the excuse that it was much easier to replace hardware in a climate-controlled house than it was to replace in a vehicle that has to withstand Arizona summers and Wisconsin winters.

But tech-savvy customers, already accustomed to rapid change with their other electronic purchases, were never satisfied with this response.  SYNC largely solves this problem because the tried and tested hardware stays the same while the software can be updated, just like in a laptop or smartphone.  This allows for new features to be added to SYNC down the road, increasing a customer’s satisfaction with the purchase.

If this seems like a painfully obvious upgrade, you’re right.  But SYNC was a pioneer in bringing this update-friendly philosophy to automobiles and it is forcing some long overdue changes in the industry.  For Ford, at least, this is a major win and it’s shining light on some very deserving vehicles.