Workaholics Rejoice! Harman Is Putting Microsoft Office In Your Car.

The emergence of in-flight Wi-Fi effectively eliminated lazy travel days, a time where we could kick back, watch a movie, take a nap and sip a frosty bevvy or two. Now, an airplane is a giant budgie-shaped office in the clouds, one that compels us to work—Internet speeds reminiscent of 1999 be damned. 

But traveling via car, well, we’re still granted some peace—a place to unwind and bask in our own thoughts. Or at least that’s how it is now, but thanks to Harman and Microsoft, this last savored solitude could soon be ruined.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Harman announced that it’s bringing Microsoft Office—including Word, Excel and Powerpoint—to a car near you (precisely which vehicles remains to be seen, but Harman currently works with many OEMs, including BMW, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and even Harley Davidson). It will operate via voice-activation, likely using Microsoft’s Cortana, meaning you’ll be able to work on spreadsheets and file your taxes while driving. This all seems very safe.

In fairness, both Harman and Microsoft note that the system’s most useful function right now is to provide an integrated way to respond to emails, set up and join phone meetings without having to input any codes, and talk via Skype. 

“By ensuring that Office 365 services are seamlessly integrated with car and driver telematics and performance data, we will allow consumers to be more productive during their driving hours, while enjoying far greater convenience, safety and reliability,” says Peggy Johnson, executive vice president of 

business development at Microsoft.

Most features, though, seem better aligned towards the emergence of autonomous vehicles, which as we know are rapidly approaching. Harman acknowledges this, and here, having access to things like email and documents, and an ability to edit and send on the fly, makes far more sense.

Except that it doesn’t.

If I were in an autonomous vehicle, one that boasts an Internet connection, I’d rather pull out my laptop and work as normal, not via fancy screens within the car and a virtual voice-activated assistant that probably won’t work. Don’t get me wrong, the idea is cool, and I’d love to play around with it. But the practical use of this technology seems limited—because hands-free and the like becomes irrelevant when riding aboard a mobile hotspot that drives itself.

Not to mention it eliminates every last excuse we have to relax while traveling or commuting. Lousy Internet be damned, we people need our rest.

By: Alex Lloyd.

Review: Emerging Market Formulations & Research Unit, Flagship Records.
For The #FacebookTeam