Carmaker Ford has made its smartphone-connected heightened security system, SecuriAlert, available to car owners for the first time.
Once activated, SecuriAlert sends a notification to the vehicle owner’s smartphone if it identifies any vehicle activity, including attempts to open doors or gain access with a key, which Ford says provides peace of mind to customers when their cars are out of sight – or out of earshot.
Owners activate SecuriAlert when they are away from their vehicle. The feature is quickly and easily switched on or off – “armed” or “disarmed” – using the FordPass smartphone app.
Once active, it makes use of the vehicle’s existing sensors to identify if an attempt is being made to enter the vehicle. Using the onboard modem, FordPass Connect, the car will immediately send a push notification to the owner’s smartphone if it detects any activity involving their vehicle.
The FordPass app reveals the time and reason for any SecuriAlert alarms – via the smartphone – as well as the vehicle’s last known location.
If an attempt is made to open a door using a key – an action that would not trigger a conventional vehicle alarm – SecuriAlert will still send an alert. The company says this can be particularly useful in identifying attempts to access to a car using a cloned or stolen key.
When the owner returns to their vehicle – to drive to work in the morning, for example – they simply disarm SecuriAlert via the FordPass app and continue on their journey.
In 2020, Ford made its connected‑vehicle services complimentary to customers across Europe, and recently announced a cross-manufacturer connected-vehicle partnership to warn drivers of hazards on the road ahead.
“Whether left on the street overnight or in a car park on a shopping trip, we know our customers care about the security of their car and its contents” commented Richard Bunn, Ford Europe’s Director of Retail Connectivity Solutions. “SecuriAlert builds on Ford’s growing connectivity ecosystem to empower owners with the knowledge that if something happens with their vehicle when they aren’t driving it, they will be the first to know.”
(Picture – Ford)
