Mercedes Gives Customers the One Thing They've Always Wanted: Microsoft Teams
No, you don't get a new V-8 or a manual—but now you can take video calls on the move.
Have you ever been driving along in your AMG GT63 and wondered aloud, “You know what would make this car perfect? Microsoft Teams.” Well, wonder no more, because Mercedes-Benz has teamed up with Microsoft for a new suite of in-car technologies designed to make your work-life balance that much worse.
The upcoming CLA will be the first Mercedes model with Microsoft Intune baked directly into its MB.OS operating system, complete with the 365 Copilot generative AI assistant and the aforementioned Microsoft Teams with an Enhanced Meetings function.
With Enhanced Meetings, drivers will actually be able to stream video of themselves while on the move (in countries that allow it). Oh, joy. They won't be able to see shared screens or slides of other participants for safety reasons, and the system will turn off automatically as soon as the meeting ends.
Drivers will also be able to see upcoming meetings via a new calendar function. The expanded voice chat system, meanwhile, will allow you to answer work DMs while on the go. Mercedes says the Microsoft partnership turns your car into a "third workspace"—a term only the saviest dystopian novelists could have dreamed up.
Just look at how much fun you can have!
Naturally, you will have to pay extra for many of these features as part of the Entertainment Package Plus, which includes a full data plan. Mercedes hasn't listed pricing just yet, but we can't imagine it will be cheap.
The CLA will be the first Mercedes model with the new Microsoft suite, and the technology will roll out initially in markets like the US and Europe before expanding to more regions. We also expect the entire Mercedes lineup to adopt the technology at some point.
That means, soon, everyone will be taking meetings on the go. Just the future we've always dreamed of.
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