Car systems Harman will receive support for Microsoft Office 365 and Cortana

It's no secret that Microsoft has always wanted to increase its presence in the automotive industry. With the release of Windows 10, she, interestingly, really had such an opportunity. At the CES-2016 in Las Vegas, Harman announced that the Microsoft Office 365 software package and the cloud technologies used together with it will now be integrated into its multimedia automotive systems.



In simple terms, now, while driving a car equipped with a Harman multimedia system, the driver can take time not only to drive, but also work with Office documents. And since working with documents while driving can be a very distracting factor, in the opinion of Harman, a virtual assistant of Cortana can come to help, which will also be integrated into the system.

Thanks to the "Cortana", drivers of vehicles equipped with Harman systems will be able to edit documents or, for example, create new presentations in PowerPoint by simply telling the virtual assistant what to do and what information to add. Of course, the voice recognition system still has a number of limitations, but in some cases it really becomes a more convenient alternative to conventional mice and keyboards used in any office environment.

"This cooperation is for us a natural step in the development of HARMAN and one more step towards our goal of creating more modern, high-tech, productive and smart cars," says Phil Eyler, President of HARMAN Connected Car.

"Drivers want to get more immersed, personal experience of driving. However, this desire is accompanied by the need for higher productivity. Even behind the wheel. Our cooperation with Microsoft will meet these needs and will be able to bring new functionality to the car market, while maintaining a high level of safety and reliability, with minimal distraction of the driver's attention. "

It becomes clear that Cortana sooner or later will become a full-fledged assistant driver and will manage various systems of the car, for example, navigation or air-conditioning system. To do this, just need a suitable device based on Windows 10, which can serve as a universal multimedia automotive system.

Undoubtedly, Windows 10 opens for Microsoft those doors that until this moment were closed to it, and allows you to extend your influence far beyond the limits of personal computers and laptops.