Once self-driving cars relieve humans from their responsibilities behind the wheel, motorists may find themselves with newfound spare time in their vehicles. A new partnership is exploring ways to help them fill it.
Microsoft and the Renault-Nissan Alliance have announced that they?re working together to develop new features for connected cars that will occupy drivers as we enter the age of autonomous vehicles.
Whether you view the ability to use Microsoft Office in your new mobile office as a way to maximize productivity or as another workplace intrusion into your personal time might depend on your perspective, but the companies said in a joint release that they?re aiming to bring that option to the marketplace by 2020. They want to transform commuting into ?a productive experience by seamlessly integrating the digital experiences present at work and life into the car.? Creating a mobile workplace is one aspect of the new partnership, and that integration is made possible by the vast number of ways that cars are now connected to the outside world via embedded Wi-Fi hotspots and Bluetooth options that automakers are rushing into vehicles. Global consulting firm IHS Markit estimates there are nearly 112 million connected vehicles already on roads around the world.
For tech companies and traditional automakers alike, the possibility of strengthening and monetizing those pipelines is growing. On Tuesday, a group of telecom and automotive companies, including Audi, BMW, Daiml...