DETROIT, United States - US auto giant Ford and technology leader Microsoft joined forces to unveil a new system to enable voice-activated telephone and music operations for car drivers.

Alan Mulally (on stage at left, seen on screen at right), President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, speaks with Bill Gates (screen at left), Chairman of Microsoft, via a video link at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. US auto giant Ford and technology leader Microsoft joined forces to unveil a revolutionary new system to enable voice-activated telephone and music operations for car drivers. [AFP]

 The "Sync" platform, introduced at a glitzy presentation of new Ford vehicles at the Detroit auto show, "enhances the pleasure and safety of driving," according to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates.

"The market potential is absolutely enormous," said Mark Fields, Ford's president for the Americas, announcing that the technology will be available in 12 Ford vehicles this year, including cheaper models such as the Focus.

Using English, Spanish or French, drivers will be able to call out contacts to ring from their cellphone's address book, or tell the car which song they want to play from their Apple iPod or Microsoft Zune player.

The system will read out incoming text messages, and can translate commonly used messaging expressions such as "LOL" (laugh out loud) audibly, according to the companies.

Speaking via satellite from the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Gates said Sync would "help revolutionize the driving experience by providing a simple system that intelligently connects mobile phones, music players, and more."

Sync will be available in 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products beginning this year, according to the car maker.

"Sync is what today's generation and today's drivers demand in connectivity," Ford vice president Derrick Kuzak said in a statement.

"Not only does it offer hands-free phone operation and iPod, Zune or MP3 player connectivity, it's built on a software platform that is upgradeable and will allow us to offer new features by simply upgrading the software."

Sync lets motorists control the system with voice commands or using steering-wheel controls.

More than 80 percent of US households use cellphones and 60 million digital music devices have been sold there in what is a flourishing market, according to Ford.

"Sync is the right technology at the right time," Kuzak said.

The car maker promised that the technology will be on all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the near future.