Cisco has announced a partnership with Mercedes-Benz to create an optimal mobile office experience for the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicles. In today’s hybrid work era, people are expecting exceptional experiences regardless of where they work, and cars are no exception. Webex by Cisco will serve as the luxury sedan’s first collaboration application, offering people the ability to work 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 the partnership with Cisco is a natural fit given the company’s leadership in secure and intuitive collaboration with Webex. The collaboration marks a momentous step forward with in-vehicle innovation and experiences, transforming the car into a home office.
Cisco and Mercedes-Benz are addressing the needs of the ever-evolving hybrid workforce, enabling an architect in the parking lot of a job site to collaborate with their team back at the firm 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.
According to Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Security & Collaboration at Cisco, “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.” 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.
The collaboration enables 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 cancellation, 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.
The core of this announcement is safety, and 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.
The interior of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz E Class was previewed on February 22, 2023, and the new vehicle will be equipped with Wi-Fi and cellular data connection, among many other things. 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 the phone. This offering will be available globally in the new Mercedes-Benz E Class vehicles, which are expected to arrive at dealerships this spring.
In conclusion, the partnership between Cisco and Mercedes-Benz marks a significant step forward in delivering the flexibility that the hybrid workforce demands. The collaboration allows people to work safely, securely, and comfortably in their cars, transforming the car into a home office. It enables frictionless meetings and calls using Webex’s suite, including proprietary audio intelligence technology for noise cancellation, enhancing the experience for the driver and any passengers working in the vehicle. The collaboration also prioritizes safety, with audio-only meetings and calls when the vehicle is moving, and full immersive collaboration experience available when parked. The offering will be available globally in the new Mercedes-Benz E Class vehicles arriving at dealerships this spring.
