When you think of the Microsoft’s auto-related technologies, the first thing that comes to our mind is SYNC. This is perfectly reasonable, since it is the only place Microsoft has made any significant impact on the automobile scene. SYNC is just Ford’s version of Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Technologies. Ford and Microsoft ended their exclusive contract at the end of 2008. In May 2008, Microsoft said that it will team up with Hyundai/Kia to develop a voice-controlled system for the North American market.

Microsoft and Kia will unveil their new product called UVO at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show next week, in Las Vegas. UVO is the first U.S. based contender to Ford’s SYNC system. It is said that UVO will debut in an unnamed Kia model this year. The UVO system will be based on Microsoft Auto software platform and will have features specific to Kia models.

Representatives from Kia and Microsoft unveiled the ‘UVO’ title on Wednesday and explained the meaning;  it is an abbreviation for “your voice“. So we can assume that there is a strong emphasis on speech recognition in the new system, but beyond that it is anybody’s guess what the automotive infotainment system will include. The officials were reluctant to comment about the details of the UVO system.

Ford had recently announced that it would allow outside developers to improve SYNC’s functionality. Also with the amazing success of Apple’s App Store, it would be a shame if Kia does not support the booming iPhone app-market from the start. Everything will be unveiled at CES next week, in Las Vegas, where Ford will also be showcasing its latest revisions to the SYNC system. It is just a few more days of waiting, and we will know which of these infotainment systems will emerge as the ultimate winner. We can hardly wait to find out.