1 October 2013
Last week Ford announced they acquired Detroit-based start-up Livio“to advance connectivity for our customers and to lead the way in in-vehicle connectivity for the entire automotive industry,” said Bill Coughlin, CEO of Ford Global Technologies.
Third party sources valuated deal at less that $10 million. Livio, co-founded by Jake Sigal and Massimo Baldini, will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Global Technologies, which manages all aspects of intellectual property for Ford.
Livio will function as a separate department within Ford Electrical/Electronic Systems Engineering, while integrated into Ford’s overall connectivity operations.
“The deal gives Ford access to a broad group of application developers, while enabling Livio to maintain its independent and entrepreneurial approach,“ added Ford in a statement.
Livio Connect
The core technology developed by Livio is Livio Connect, a protocol that allows enabled apps and head units to communicate with each other in one standard language.
Livio also manages an authentication server that allows app developers and automobile manufacturers to control which app can be used on which head unit and vice versa.The server also provides technology to enable various premium, subsidy, and reverse subsidy business models for content providers.
The Livio acquisition offers Ford a set of additional technologies and expertise that complement AppLink, the Ford platform that integrates smartphone apps with head units.
Ford contributed Smart Device Link, the open source version of AppLink, to the GENIVI Alliance for use by app developers.
