Microsoft today announced that it’s expanding its partnership with BMW to bring Skype to the German manufacturer’s cars. Skype for Business will now get a place in BMW’s iDrive system. This functionality will enable BMW owners to attend Skype meetings from inside their cars using the stock infotainment system. BMW is already one of the first car manufacturers to enable Office 365 services in its vehicles.
“The integration of productivity features in-car (like Exchange and Skype for Business) and personalized and contextual services will help customers with their day-to-day work and planning while they are on the road,” said Dieter May, the senior vice president of digital products and services at BMW.
The two companies teamed up last year to build a platform called Open Mobility. This platform powers BMW Connected with Microsoft Azure cloud doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
At BMW’s annual ‘Innovation Days’ event in Chicago today, the company announced that it’s now going to include Skype for Business in iDrive.
The feature will be integrated and operated through the stock infotainment system. Skype for Business will initially be offered in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Other markets will get this functionality soon.
The system will provide users with notifications for meetings and even let them dial-in without having to remember or enter the conference number manually. It also promises improved integration with Microsoft Exchange for calendars, contacts, and to-do lists.