SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (Top40 Charts) Leading internet radio service
Pandora Internet Radio has officially announced its partnership with Ford Australia, a key milestone in the expansion of availability across the local automotive market. The launch, effective from today across a range of nameplates including Fiesta ST and Focus ST and Ford Kuga line up, will continue to roll out across other Ford nameplates including the Fiesta, Focus, Ranger and Transit range by early 2015.
"The car is the traditional home of radio, and with
Pandora now seamlessly incorporated in many models of Ford vehicles, we can ensure our listeners continue enjoying
Pandora no matter where they are commuting or travelling," says Rick Gleave, director of business development,
Pandora ANZ. "For the first time, listeners will enjoy the fully integrated suite of
Pandora features, replicated from their mobile to the dashboard in their vehicle, ensuring driver focus remains where it should be, on the road."
Commercial radio reaches approximately 60 per cent of Australians in their cars each week with listening in cars accounting for approximately 35 per cent of all music listening1.
"By partnering with Ford, an innovator for in-car connectivity technologies, we continue to extend our reach to capture what we describe as the 'ear balls' of Australians. This landmark partnership grows our footprint in the automotive market locally, cementing our leadership as the most enabled streaming service now available in Australian vehicles," Gleave continued.
Pandora is a key launch application of Ford's AppLink technology. Available on select Ford vehicles and exclusive to SYNC, Ford AppLink uses voice-activated technology to connect drivers with their favourite smartphone applications while driving. When in playing mode and connected to SYNC,
Pandora will automatically lock mobile devices and reply entirely on voice and steering wheel commands, minimising distractions for drivers.
"The introduction of SYNC AppLink to the Ford Kuga, Focus ST and Fiesta ST is the latest step in connecting Australians with their favourite mobile services and applications using SYNC's voice commands," said Adrian McGibbon, Supervisor, Multimedia Systems, Ford Asia Pacific. "With Pandora's solid footprint of over 2 million registered listeners in Australia and New Zealand, we are excited to bring our global partnership with the brand to Australia and New Zealand with SYNC AppLink."
Key voice commands enabling
Pandora on AppLink include;
Like a song? You can say 'thumbs up'
Search your favourite station with the command 'Play' said artist
'Skip track' to move to the next song
Pandora locally also partners with
Holden and Mazda, and will soon be released on new model Nissans.
ABOUT PANDORA
Pandora (NYSE:P) gives people music and comedy they love anytime, anywhere, through connected devices. Personalized stations launch instantly with the input of a single "seed" - a favourite artist, song, or genre. The
Music Genome Project, a deeply detailed hand-built musical taxonomy, powers the personalization of
Pandora internet radio by using musicological "DNA" and constant listener feedback to craft personalized stations from growing collection of more than one million tracks. Tens of millions of people turn on
Pandora every day to hear music they love. www.pandora.com
