Ford buys start-up to boost in-car connectivity

Ford announced on Friday that it has purchased start-up technology firm Livio. Ford says the move will help the company boost its in-car technologies.

Livio, based in Ferndale, Michigan, specializes in products and software that help connect smartphones to in-vehicle infotainment systems. Ford says it expects its acquisition of Livio to accelerate the development of its smartphone-to-vehicle communications.

“With the additional expertise Livio provides us, Ford intends to continue to lead the next generation of in-car connectivity with technology advancements that give consumers more options to access their devices on the go,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president, Ford Research and Innovation.

One of Ford’s major initiatives with Livio will be to create an industry standard for smartphone connectivity.

“At Livio, our philosophy is centered on bringing customers more connectivity with less hassle,” said Livio CEO Jake Sigal. “We believe this partnership is an excellent match, as it will give us the ability to work with Ford to provide customers even more access to new technologies in the vehicle infotainment space.”

The deal is rumored to be worth about $10 million.<![CDATA[
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