(LEAD) Kia Motors, Microsoft unveil car entertainment system in U.S.

(ATTN: ADDS Ford Motor in para 3, quote in penultimate para )
SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest
carmaker, said Wednesday it has introduced an in-car entertainment system
developed by Microsoft Corp. in the United States, becoming the first Asian
carmaker to use the Microsoft system.

The "UVO powered by Microsoft" system, unveiled this week at the International
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, provides a voice-recognition, hands-free
solution that allows drivers to answer and place phone calls, receive and respond
to mobile-phone text messages and access music from a variety of devices, the
company said in a statement.
The UVO, short for Your Voice, will compete with a similar voice-control system
called Sync, which is also designed by Microsoft and introduced by Ford Motor Co.

Michael Sprague, vice president of Kia's U.S. unit, described the UVO system as a
"breakthrough for in-vehicle infotainment" that allows drivers and passengers to
safely and easily use all of their personal technologies.
"Collaborating with Microsoft, Kia Motors is able to offer drivers an experience
that will provide our cars with a clear competitive advantage," Sprague said in
the statement.
Kia is a unit of Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker. In May 2008,
Hyundai and Microsoft signed an agreement on collaboration on the in-car
technology.
With the new system, Kia said, drivers will be able to access media content and
connect with people through simple, quick voice commands without having to
navigate through menus.
For instance, the system responds to inquiries such as "What's playing?" and
provides audible answers and related functions, helping to keep drivers' eyes
safely focused on the road, the company said.
Kevin Dallas, general manager of Microsoft, said in the statement that the UVO
system "demonstrates how the power of Windows Embedded technology can keep
consumers connected to the devices, information and entertainment that matters to
them most.???
Kia plans to begin selling its Sorento sport-utility vehicle equipped with the
Microsoft system this summer in the U.S., according to the statement.
(END)

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