Ford today announced it will acquire Livio, a Ferndale, Mich.-based software development startup, in order to further extend their ability to meet consumers’ growing demand for safe, seamless access to the electronic content while in their vehicles.

Livio builds products and software tools to support smartphone/car connectivity and has a strong track record of creating in-car connectivity solutions. Ford’s purchase of Livio is designed to accelerate innovation by sharing talented engineers and unique intellectual property, as well as enabling both companies to work toward developing an industry standard for smartphone-to-vehicle communications.

“With the additional expertise Livio provides us, Ford intends to continue to lead the next generation of in-car connectivity with technology advancements that give consumers more options to access their devices on the go,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president, Ford Research and Innovation.

Ford and Livio are joining forces amid explosive growth in the connected car market. Last year, more than 1.9 million vehicles were delivered with smartphone integration solutions, such as Ford SYNC® AppLink™. That number is expected to reach 21 million vehicles by 2018, according to a June report from London-based GSMA, which represents the global mobile industry, and data from SBD, a London automotive technology consulting firm.