Ford owners can order Starbucks with Alexa

There are three things I love in Dallas: my Ford F150 pickup truck, Getting my latest tech via Amazon and my local Starbucks. So when I heard that the three companies have teamed up, I could already taste that beautiful Cappuccino.

The coming together of Amazon, Ford and Starbucks means that Ford owners with the latest Sync3 infotainment system will be able to order and pay for their Starbucks order by issuing commands to the Alexa voice assistant.  In order to use the tech, the Alexa Starbucks Reoder  skill needs to be enabled and then simply utter those magic words: “Alexa, tell Starbucks to start my order”. Alexa uses the Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay feature that allows customers to place their order and pay for it in advance and thereby skip the line. But now it can all be done without lifting your hands off the steering wheel or looking for the app on your phone.

This announcement was made Gerri Martin-Flickinger who is Starbucks’ chief technology officer: “It only takes a little imagination to think about where conversation ordering will show up next”

Ford the Tech Company

For years, Ford has been on the forefront of technology and is already becoming less of a motoring company and more of a mobile tech company. Partnering with other companies is critical to creating a holistic eco-system where the Ford driver is able to have access to products and services in the most convenient way. “It’s not just about how many vehicles we can sell, it’s also about the services we can provide as well” said Mark Fields, Ford CEO. Ford Mobility is key to the company’s success which is why Ford is laser-focused on having a high volume autonomous vehicles on the road by 2021.

So while we wait for the autonomous vehicle to arrive, where we can sit in the car that doesn’t have a steering wheel, drinking our coffee and reading the digital newspaper, I am happy to be able to just ask Alexa to get my coffee order started as I drive to my local Starbucks.