Webex by Cisco Delivers First App for Hybrid Work to Audi Vehicles

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 Auto (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
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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.

SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.