Not everyone will be happy about this new Mercedes feature

The car as a third workplace  

Mercedes-Benz is expanding its digital ecosystem: starting this summer, new models will be equipped with enhanced Microsoft Teams integration. Mercedes itself calls it “a new standard for productivity on the go.” Admittedly, it sounds impressive: in the new CLA, you will soon be able to log in to Microsoft Teams, use the built-in camera and show up in an online meeting while driving toward your next appointment. Or well, not really show, because to avoid distractions, the system automatically turns off the image display as soon as you start driving. So you’re there, but without slides, screen sharing or visual input. Because fortunately, safety still takes precedence over productivity.

MB.OS

The integration of Microsoft Teams is part of a broader collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft. Indeed, the Germans are building their MB.OS operating system into a kind of driving laptop. Not only Teams, but also Microsoft Intune will be built in – a management tool that allows companies to centrally control devices and apps. Thus, your employer will soon be able to determine, even in the car, which apps you can use, what data you can or cannot access and whether you can access certain functions at all.

Who is this for?

As if things weren’t crazy enough: Mercedes also wants to put Microsoft 365 Copilot in your car: an AI assistant that summarizes your emails, prepares meetings and digs up customer data. Sound handy? Or terrifying? Because admit it: were you really waiting for another place to get rid of your inbox? Probably not. The idea of meeting in traffic jams soon sounds like a nightmare to many. But for the meeting-hungry manager with an insatiable desire for efficiency – even in a tunnel with no range – this may be the ultimate in luxury….

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