News Summary:
- Webex will be the first collaboration app to come to select
Audi 2024 model year vehicles, equipping vehicles with Meetings
capabilities for seamless collaboration.
- To ensure a safe collaboration experience, attendees can join
and participate in meetings easily, minimizing distractions; and
video happens only when parked.
- Drivers benefit from increased flexibility in how they work,
powered by Webex's full immersive collaboration experience.
SAN
JOSE, Calif., June 1, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Cisco and Audi today unveiled plans to enhance
mobile car collaboration experiences for hybrid workers. In
partnership with Volkswagen Group's software company CARIAD and
Samsung subsidiary HARMAN, Webex will be the first app for hybrid
work available in select Audi models as of the 2024 model year.
As hybrid work continues to evolve, the modern work environment
is no longer confined to a single space or device. People
increasingly demand flexible, frictionless ways to get work done on
their own terms, requiring innovative solutions that empower this.
To meet consumer demand and provide a safe, secure and easy-to-use
secure mobile collaboration experience, the Webex automotive
application will be available through the in-vehicle Audi
Application Store. The Application Store is developed by CARIAD and
HARMAN and designed for select Audi vehicles with additional
Volkswagen Group brands to follow at a later time.
"We're on a mission to transform the connected car into another
extension of the hybrid workplace," said Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and
General Manager, Security & Collaboration, Cisco. "Our work
with leading manufacturers like Audi will empower customers with a
safe and seamless way to stay connected and be productive
regardless of where or how you're working."
This partnership aims to accommodate flexible hybrid work
cultures. It presents people with access to elevated work
experiences that can be personalized to fit their lifestyles and
enable work from any setting. Customer benefits include:
- Simple Setup: Drivers can download the Webex App from
the Application Store available on the Audi vehicle's infotainment
system, with no phone needed for set up. The store
consistently ensures that the applications in the vehicle meet the
high safety requirements of the Volkswagen Group. With this simple
setup, drivers can seamlessly transition from Webex meetings on
their electronic devices to in-car meetings.
- Purpose-Built Safety Features: With features designed to
prioritize safety, Webex goes into audio-only mode when the car is
in transit to ensure that drivers can participate in meetings
without taking their eyes off the road. When parked,
drivers can take advantage of Webex's full immersive
collaboration experience and are able to view meeting participants,
shared content and closed captioning.
- AI-Enhanced Meetings: Drivers will have access to
Webex's built-in AI features for best-in-class noise removal and
voice optimization. This will ensure that drivers can be clearly
heard, without disruptive background sounds such as roadway noise
or construction.
Availability
As of July 2023, the Application
Store, from which the Webex App can be downloaded, will be
available in new Audi production models of the Audi A4, A5, Q5, A6,
A7, A8, Q8 e-tron, and e-tron GT in Europe, USA,
Canada, Mexico, and Overseas markets.
Cisco works with over 32,000 transportation organizations in 169
countries worldwide and has 25,000 patents in the transportation
space. This partnership with Audi, CARIAD, and HARMAN is part of
Webex for Autos (blog here), which includes Webex Meetings for
Apple CarPlay, and collaboration with automotive manufactures
including Ford Motor Company and Mercedes-Benz. Cisco will
continue to expand its growing ecosystem of innovative
collaboration solutions that enable unrivaled experiences on the
go.
Quotes from Technology Partners
"We are excited to
offer Volkswagen Group's customers Webex meeting capabilities that
make hybrid work more convenient and adaptable. With our new Group
Application Store we will offer customers a vast variety of
essential and popular apps, seamlessly connecting their car with
their digital life. Together with our VW Group brands and partners,
we take the digital in-car experience to the next level turning the
car into a smart companion for drivers." — Dr. Riclef
Schmidt-Clausen, Senior Vice President, Domain Intelligent Cockpit
& Body, CARIAD
"We are delighted to partner with like-minded leaders at the
forefront of technology and automotive to bring Webex capabilities
into the car for hybrid and remote workers. The HARMAN Ignite
Store, a white label solution for Volkswagen Group Application
Store, makes it easy for developers to adapt their content and
services for automotive, all while ensuring the experience is safe
and optimized for the vehicle environment. It's collaborations like
these that will transform the in-cabin experience, keeping drivers
connected to what matters." - Albert
Jordan, VP and GM of HARMAN's Automotive Applications
Business Unit
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide
leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new
possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data,
transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a
global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Newsroom and
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Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A
listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at
www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are
the property of their respective owners. The use of the word
partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and
any other company.
About Webex by Cisco
Webex is a leading provider of
cloud-based collaboration solutions which includes video meetings,
calling, messaging, events, polling, asynchronous video and
customer experience solutions like contact center and purpose-built
collaboration devices. Webex's focus on delivering inclusive
collaboration experiences fuels our innovation, which leverages AI
and Machine Learning, to remove the barriers of geography,
language, personality and familiarity with technology. Its
solutions are underpinned with security and privacy by design.
Webex works with the world's leading business and productivity apps
– delivered through a single application and interface. Learn more
at webex.com.
About Audi of America
At Audi of America, we believe
the future is electric. By 2025, our U.S. model lineup will be at
least 30 percent electrified, including fully electric and plug-in
hybrid vehicles. Globally, we are committed to net CO2 neutrality
by 2050. In 2022, Audi sold 186,875 vehicles in the U.S., sold more
fully electric models than ever before, and achieved a
record-breaking year in after sales. Learn more about who we are
and how we're working to create a more sustainable, innovative, and
inclusive future at audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com.
About CARIAD
CARIAD is an independent automotive
software company in the Volkswagen Group that is consolidating and
further expanding the Group's software competencies. The company is
developing the leading technology stack for the automotive industry
with the mission to make the automotive experience safer, more
sustainable and more comfortable for people. Established in 2020
under the name Car.Software Organization, CARIAD now has more than
6,500 experts worldwide working on a scalable technology stack for
all Volkswagen Group brands, comprising a software platform, a
unified electronic architecture and a reliable connection to the
automotive cloud. The company is also developing digital functions
for the vehicle, including driver assistance systems, a
standardized infotainment platform, software functions for linking
powertrains, chassis and charging technology, as well as the new
digital ecosystem and digital services in and around the vehicle.
CARIAD has software competence centers in Wolfsburg, Ingolstadt,
the Stuttgart region, Berlin and Munich, and has subsidiaries in China and the USA. For more information, visit
https://cariad.technology.
About HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers
connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and
enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and
visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services
supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including
AKG®, Harman
Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®,
Lexicon®, Mark
Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is
admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues
where they perform around the world. More than 50 million
automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and
connected car systems. Our software services power billions of
mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and
secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile.
HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the
Americas, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.