Today, at Mobile World Congress, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced it is working with Mercedes-Benz to provide an optimal mobile office experience in its new Mercedes-Benz E Class vehicles. In today’s era of hybrid work, people expect an exceptional experience regardless of how and where they work – and the car is no exception. This partnership will help people get work done safely, securely, and comfortably in their vehicles, with the modern luxury and intuitive features that Mercedes-Benz and Webex customers are accustomed to.
Mercedes-Benz is committed to innovating its vehicles for the modern, digital era; and partnering with Cisco was a natural fit given the company’s leadership in secure, intuitive collaboration with Webex. The future of transportation is here now – and this partnership marks a momentous step forward with in-vehicle innovation and experiences.
Mercedes-Benz and Cisco are jointly addressing the needs of the ever-evolving hybrid workforce. The partnership makes it possible for an architect in the parking lot of a job site to collaborate with their team back at the firm, for example, or take a meeting between visiting a client and picking up the kids from after school care.
Together, the companies are transforming the car into a home office.
“Hybrid work is centered on the work you do, not where you do it – whether it’s in the office, home, car, or anywhere in between,” said Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Security & Collaboration, Cisco. “The mobile office cannot progress without the reliable and secure collaboration technology that only Cisco can provide. This partnership with Mercedes-Benz, a leader in automotive luxury, marks a big step forward in delivering the flexibility that the hybrid workforce demands.”
Enabling Frictionless Meetings and Calls
Drivers will be able to conduct frictionless meetings and calls with Meetings and enterprise grade calling with Webex. These features are all part of the Webex Suite, which provides the continuous, secure, and reliable connectivity that Cisco is known for. Webex’s proprietary audio intelligence technology offers best-in-class noise cancelation, enhancing the experience for the driver and any passengers working in the vehicle. Webex’s technology makes it easier to hear and be heard by singling out and boosting the clarity of an individual’s voice while eliminating distracting background noises, such as road noise and, at times, co-passengers talking, that come with the flexibility of conducting meetings and calls from the vehicle.
Safety-Centric Approach
Core to this announcement is safety: when the vehicle is moving, meetings and calls will use audio-only. When parked, users can harness Webex’s full immersive collaboration experience in their E Class, including video meetings, automatic AI-powered transcription, content sharing, and reactions (such as a thumbs up or celebration emoji).
Availability
The interior of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E Class was previewed on February 22, 2023. The new vehicle will be equipped with Wi-Fi and cellular data connection, among many other things. Using either connection, drivers can download the Webex App from the Mercedes Benz Car App Store to appear directly on the touchscreen of the vehicle’s infotainment system, eliminating the dependency on phone. This offering will be available globally in the new Mercedes-Benz E Class vehicles, which are expected to arrive at dealerships this spring.
Cisco works with over 32,000 transportation organizations in 169 countries worldwide and has 25,000 patents in the transportation space. This partnership with Mercedes-Benz is part of Webex for Automobiles (blog here), including Webex Meetings for Apple CarPlay and its collaboration with Ford Motor Company.
