Ford said to drop Microsoft for BlackBerry’s QNX in Sync system
Chief executive officer Alan Mulally,
who was said to be a candidate to become Microsoft’s CEO until early
this year, has seen Ford slump in surveys by J.D. Power & Associates
and Consumer Reports, with customers citing malfunctioning tech systems
and touch screens. The second-largest US automaker has said the quality
of its vehicles have been mixed each of the past three years and fell
short of its plan to improve those results in 2013.
Improving Sync is crucial for Dearborn, Michigan-based
Ford to draw car shoppers who are increasingly looking to be connected
at all times. In-vehicle technology is the top selling point for 39% of
auto buyers, more than twice the 14% who say their first consideration
is traditional performance measures such as power and speed, according
to a study by the consulting firm Accenture released in December.
