Earlier this month, Mercedes-Benz offered a closer look at the new E-Class sedan’s interior and luxury dashboard. Car looks great so far! It has an electric powertrain and a ton of technology, including level 3 autonomous driving support and a slew of apps you’ll have to pay extra to use. Cars also seem to be a convenient means of transportation. It may be so fortunate that you want to turn your vehicle into a mobile office.
If that’s the case, then you’re in luck. Mercedes-Benz has partnered with Cisco to bring Webex Meetings and Calling and Webex AI audio capabilities to the new E-Class—everything the busy worker needs to stay calm. They announced the collaboration at last week’s E-Class event and revealed more details at Mobile World Congress. “This partnership will help people get their work done safely and comfortably in their vehicles,” the company said in a press release. It definitely looks better than getting things done in the office, at home, or at the coffee shop.
When you need to get to a meeting behind the wheel, which I hope is rare, the company claims to offer “best-in-class noise cancellation” thanks to its Webex Audio Intelligence technology. Discussions and conversations are audio only unless you’re parked. If so, you can access video conferencing, AI-powered transcription, content sharing features, and emoji reactions. There will be a Webex app in the Mercedes Benz Car App Store, while the built-in WiFi and mobile data connection means you won’t need a phone to attend meetings. That is the epitome of living the dream, at least for someone.
To be honest, there are some use cases where Webex makes sense in a car. Mercedes and Cisco suggest that while an architect might need to call colleagues immediately after leaving the workplace, someone might need to attend a meeting straight after dropping the kids off at school. The conference call must have been in the car.
This isn’t the first time dating apps have invaded the car. Webex now supports CarPlay and Microsoft Teams. Webex is also available on some Ford models. If you really want to experience the Webex encounter behind the wheel of the 2023 E-Class, you might be pleased to know that you’ll have the chance to do so when the sedan hits dealerships in the spring.
