
Volvo to be the first company with vehicles capable of seamless online conferences with the help of Skype for Business.
Volvo believes that the act of commuting shouldn’t be a dead period of time for business productivity. While the modern technology continues to evolve and break even more boundaries, the Swedish company intends to bring professional conferences in traffic too. Thus, the 90-series models will receive a significant update in the form of a Skype app for business. This will make Volvo the first company to turn cars into luxurious conference rooms.
Volvo automaker will integrate Skype for Business to some of their vehicles. The aim of this upgrade is to enable drivers to participate in online conferences while commuting. The users will be able to activate the communication app from the Sensus display. The display will be a touchscreen, which will add more flexibility to the overall experience. The new update will appear only in Volvo V90 wagons, S90 sedans, and XC90 crossovers.
The company will be mindful of the possible distractive nature of such a digital feature. As a consequence, Volvo is going to collaborate with Skype to implement some tweaks. For instance, the touchscreen Sensus display will also notify the drivers of their next scheduled conferences. All they have to do is to tap the notification, and the app will automatically connect the car to the online meeting. This way, there is no need for coding skills to enjoy Skype for Business at the wheel.
Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz who is the Vice President Consumer Connectivity Services stated that drivers were already trying to host online conferences in the car. However, their only option was to activate Skype app from their phones. Normally, they get distracted this way by finding the perfect position for their device within the car to find the perfect connectivity while assuring crystal clear audio conditions.
As a consequence, Volvo proceeded to become the first company with in-car Skype for Business. The company intends to streamline the necessary procedures for online conferences while at the wheel. The collaboration between Volvo and Skype seems like a good opportunity for the automaker to integrate the Microsoft AI assistant into their products.
Volvo has already competitors that provide voice recognition features in their vehicles. If the two companies work together in this direction, Cortana will likely find a new home in Volvo cars. The AI personal assistant will not only provide voice recognition for drivers, but it will also predict their needs in real time.
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