Apple made a big splash with its CarPlay system, which integrates app features from your iPhone with your vehicle’s infotainment system, but it’s not the only one who can play that game. Microsoft isn’t far behind with automotive integration features that bring a more business-forward perspective to your in-car experience.
Microsoft doesn’t offer its own phone (sorry, Windows phone holdouts), so the Redmond, WA company designed automotive features to aid productivity, rather than shuffle your playlist. French automaker Renault recently announced that cloud-based features on future models would rely on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, veering away from Amazon’s AWS network, which forms the backbone of services used by BMW, Audi and Mercedes.
Dreaming Big
If you’re unimpressed with the procurement of the French brand, keep in mind that Renault has experienced considerable growth since the dawn of the 21st century. As the driving force behind the Japanese Nissan brand, Renault has access to the Infiniti, others available only in Europe, as well as Mitsubishi product lines.
Renault has already expressed interest in developing autonomous cars, so navigation data is a shoe-in as one of the system’s primary features — and that’s only the beginning. Microsoft plans to develop an entire car-specific version of the Office suite. It might sound like overkill now, but imagine the time saved once you engage autopilot.
Is this any safer than texting and driving? We suppose that’s where Microsoft comes in. The company is taking a business-first approach, but that doesn’t mean the tech giants will leave Apple to rule the infotainment world. The Windows in the car concept is already being tested and promises to deliver a similar experience to CarPlay.
Imagine where this technology will land us once fully automated cars are old news, and it’s easy to predict Microsoft’s plans. Your car rides will become another opportunity for productivity, because you won’t have to think about driving.
Dark Clouds on the Horizon
As the internet of things (IoT) endured questions about how to resolve security issues, cars that require cloud connectivity to function raise concerns about vehicle vulnerabilities. We already know that hackers can access your car’s high-tech systems any number of ways, but introducing cloud-reliance suddenly raises the stakes.
The possibility of throngs of unknowing commuters suddenly diverted off track because of a computer hack is quite simply unacceptable if you’re Microsoft, or anyone else bidding for the job of powering in-car network features.
Part of the reason Renault chose the Azure platform was because of its robust security features, but it’s a little premature to claim that hackers have been thwarted before the technology even hits the road. There will be attacks, the only question is about how successful will they be.
Bugs in cutting-edge systems like those found in modern luxury cars are already being exploited, forcing manufacturers to release frequent system updates. Thankfully, Microsoft says its system will support over-the-air updates, so you won’t need to return to the dealership each time a flaw is discovered.
Determining how network security workspace for cars will move forward is perhaps the toughest question to answer of all the uncertainty surrounding in-car networking. Private sector businesses like ESET, Kaspersky and Sophos will undoubtedly vie for a piece of the action.
More specialized vendors have experience fighting malicious code, but will the Microsofts of the world make room for them in a market where it takes serious clout to play? We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, don’t type anything too confidential using MS Office Car edition.
Kayla Matthews is a writer who blogs about technology and information security for CloudTweaks, Memeburn and VM Blog. Read more posts from Kayla at ProductivityBytes.com.
