Renown audio developer Harman has just announced that it will be joining forces with Microsoft in an attempt to boost work productivity in vehicles. This also marks Microsoft’s first venture into the connected car space.
The tech giants aims to incorporate the Microsoft Office 365 suite into Harman infotainment systems to offer a new emphasis on in-car work productivity. The two companies will also share its existing products, services and tech to develop this new convenience feature for a safe and reliable work experience in your car.
No confirmation has been provided as to when a final product of this collaboration will enter the market, but it sure looks like quite a different ball game to what Volvo and BMW have been playing up recently. There, the Swedish and German car makers have cooked up more entertainment-based ideas, while it is all business for these tech giants.
In any case, this initiative to introduce Microsoft Office 365 in the vehicle is said to allow drivers to “complete tasks without compromising safety.” This was defined as being able to schedule meetings, listen and respond to emails and join conference calls without having to manually input phone numbers or passcodes.
Drivers will also be able to hold Skype calls when the vehicle is in park, or whilst it is in autonomous driving state – this will of course depend on your vehicle’s ability to drive autonomously.
Phil Eyler, president of Harman Connected Car believes that, “drivers want an immersive, and personalised experience in the car. Increasingly, that includes strong demands for richer productivity. This collaboration will bring these functionalities to market with, importantly, great reliability, security and minimal driver distraction.”
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