Volvo Cars has announced it’ll add Microsoft’s “collaborative productivity app” Skype to its 90 Series cars, that is XC90, S90 and V90, thus becoming the first carmaker to launch such an in-car productivity tool. In Volvo’s 90 Series cars, owners will be able to view their upcoming meetings and participant details, and join meetings with one click via the popular tablet style center display.
I know this may divide opinion, many will be like “Dude! let us be relaxed at least while travelling!” but we do have to realize, there are people who never really sleep. And no more “I’m travelling/driving” excuses, as people on the other side know you drive a 90 series 😉 Jokes apart, its a great idea nonetheless, as it’ll come in handy if you’re struck in traffic or running late.
“We’ve all been there. Sitting in the car trying to join a conference call. You either fumble with or drop your phone while trying to connect or you forget the long pin code to join. It’s not the best way to start an important call in the car. On top of all that your attention is not where it should be – on the road. With the addition of Skype for Business all that goes away,” said Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz Vice President Consumer Connectivity Services at Volvo Car Group.
“Skype for Business represents another big step forward for our in-car connectivity and communication offer. With the dawn of autonomous cars we see a future where flexible in-car productivity tools will enable people to reduce time spent in the office. This is just the beginning of a completely new way of looking at how we spend time in the car,” he added.
Volvo’s partnership with Microsoft also includes the exploration of using Cortana, Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant, with the express intention of adding seamless voice recognition and contextual insights to support peoples’ daily lives by actively predicting their needs.
“Volvo Cars is leading the way in its recognition that the nature of work is increasingly mobile. People need to be productive from anywhere – including their cars,” said Ben Canning, Director of Product Management for Skype for Business at Microsoft. “We’re thrilled to extend modern meetings to Volvo cars.”
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