Microsoft’s Cortana and Skype for Business Come to the Volvo Dashboard

Hit the road, Cortana - now in Volvo S90, XC90 and V90 premium vehicles

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V90
Unified Communications

Published: May 4, 2017

Rebekah Carter - Writer

Rebekah Carter

If you’re lucky enough to drive the latest 90 series (S90, XC90 and V90) of Volvo cars, then you should be able to both participate in, and initiate calls and conferences through Skype for Business. Volvo revealed the latest in-dash Skype solution for business drivers during the CES (Customer Electronics Show) for 2017, which took place in Las Vegas.

According to the latest upgrade, the Skype for Business application will be implemented into an all-new infotainment system incorporated into the dashboard of Volvo’s luxury S90 sedan collection, as well as the company’s V90 Country Wagon and XC90 SUV. Drivers will be able to access their Skype for Business accounts offered with Office 365 licensing. From behind your steering wheel, you should be able to initiate conferences and calls, and access your schedules within a heartbeat.

Driving Skype Forward

By implementing the Skype for Business app into their dashboard, Volvo will effectively eliminate the problem that many drivers have when it comes to fumbling for their phone while they’re driving, or trying to remember codes for conference calls. Once your call is complete, you can even send yourself a note from your car that will include a full recording of that call.

Volvo have envisioned a brighter future in which in-car productivity and flexibility are finally being realized. People in a range of different industries will be able to reduce the amount of time they spend in the office, and improve their efficiency away from the workplace., What’s more, according to the VP of consumer connectivity for Volvo, Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz, this is only the beginning of a brand-new insight into how we can spend our time in a car.

Volvo is only one of a handful of different vehicle manufacturers who have begun working with Microsoft in an effort to improve in-car experiences. A little more than a year ago, Volvo revealed that it would be working with HoloLens enhanced reality headsets, and other automakers working with Microsoft include Toyota, BMW, and Nissan.

The Cars of the Future

Recently, Microsoft showed off the work it has been doing with BMW when Scott Guthrie, the VP for Cloud and Enterprise demonstrated software that had been designed to offer better customer engagement and a more immersive end-user experience in the vehicle that moves across native mobile apps and an innovative dashboard display. BMW created these latest capabilities using the Azure IoT, and the Azure services for data analytics.

When asked if plans were in place to make Skype for Business available in all models, a spokesperson for the company noted that for now the app is only available in the 90 series models for 2017, and that Volvo is also exploring the possibility of using Cortana in vehicles to allow for voice recognition.

The company has also signaled significant interest in using voice recognition within its cars during 2016 CES, when they showcased their ability to control heating systems, navigation, door locks, horns, and lights using the Volvo on Call app with Microsoft Band 2.

 

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