Ford Guard Mode for vans

Ford Guard Mode, has announced the introduction of a new security app which will be available on all its commercial vehicles which is basically a security system to monitor the van in real time via a smartphone app.

Guard Mode notifies the driver or owner via their smartphone of potential breaches in security through those using the FordPass Pro app.

Dependent on how the users configuration the app, when activated the system employs sensors to detect when someone enters the vehicle, opens the bonnet or load compartment, or starts the engine. It then sends a notification to the owner’s smartphone using the vehicle’s FordPass Connect modem.

Many people may say that this is no different than a conventional alarm but that’s not necessarily true, for instance , an alert will also be triggered if a vehicle is unlocked or started using a key, an action that would not activate a conventional vehicle alarm and may be useful in light of a key being stolen or cloned.

The FordPass Pro app has a number of security orientated alerts such as Trailer Theft Alert, which sends an alert if it detects an attached trailer is being unhooked while the vehicle is locked.

The information supplied can include the number of times the vehicle was accessed, the reason for alarms, when trigger actions happened and the vehicle’s last known location. Users will also soon be able to schedule when Guard Mode is activated.

Guard Mode is the first feature that Ford will activate with an over-the-air (OTA) software update and will be progressively rolled out across the vehicle line up. These updates will use FordPass Connect, which is now fitted as standard across the vast majority of Ford commercial vehicles.

FordPass Pro helps owners to manage and control up to five vehicles, ensuring their fleet is ready for work with maximum uptime. Features include “Live Lock” status, which enables users to check all vehicle doors are locked at a glance, and lock or unlock doors remotely, and Remote Zonal Locking, which controls the cabin and load doors separately, allowing someone access to the cabin while keeping the load compartment secure.