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With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier

Microsoft’s Connected Vehicle Platform is a more far-reaching approach than either Apple’s or Google’s

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Published onJanuary 6, 2017

published onJanuary 6, 2017

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Attacking from a position of strength is typically a well-regarded approach when strategizing for any sort of long-lasting dominance, and as the war for car buyers dollars evolves, we’re watching companies such as Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft launch arrows from their respective high perches.

During this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a cornucopia of technology companies have offered their interpretation on the evolution of the automobile and how connected technologies will shape the next generation of car buying experiences.

Thanks to days worth of leaks and announcements coming from CES, we no longer have to ask ourselves, who is doing what in the automotive space, but rather the new question becomes, who’s approach to the connected car will likely be the future.

Per my opening analogy, we’re seeing a growing divide between how companies such as Apple and Google are using their positions of mobile strength to help shape the connected car experience than how others are choosing to approach the market. WithAndroid Auto getting time on the stage during a Chrysler-Fiat demonstration, we get a view of the smartphone extended and refined for a more personal driving experience.

While not directly tied to CES,Ford also announced several of its “smart cars”in-dash infotainment units will also support Android Auto as well as Apple’s CarPlay platforms. Nevertheless, both Apple and Google are looking to extend a consumers mobile experience, either through aftermarket additions or built-in hardware, offering another touch-screen-centric app focused interaction in the car.

On the other side of the battlefield we are now seeing cloud computing giants such as Amazon and Microsoft take an indirect approach to the connect car. Thanks to a technology company called Inrix, we see Amazon’s smart assistant Alexa make its way to the automobile for the first time at CES.

Technology company Inrix has announced that it will integrate AmazonAlexainto its OpenCar platform for connected vehicles.

Also, late Thursday night, we got a glimpse at how Microsoft’s cross-platform multi-device digital assistant Cortana will make its wayto BMWandNissan smart cars in the coming months.

Mr. Ghosn announced today at CES that the Renault-Nissan Alliance is continuing its partnership on the development and deployment of advanced connected technologies, such as Microsoft Cortana, an in-vehicle virtual personal assistant. With features such as Cortana speech analytics, drivers can benefit from advanced in-vehicle voice recognition and intuitive human machine interface (HMI).

Cortana will allow the vehicle to adapt to personalized driver settings, even understanding different driver preferences in a shared vehicle, almost making it feel like your own.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance will develop and launch new connected services and applications that make it easier for people to stay connected to work, entertainment and social networks. It will also offer vehicle-centric services that can simplify and enhance engagement with the car through usage-based information, remote access, remote diagnostics and preventive maintenance.

Beyond just having a witty and preventative maintenance assistant in the car, Nissan will also be using an underlying layer of Microsoft’s services called the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform that includes Azure, Office 365, Cortana and other cloud-based intelligent services.

While infotainment units are a measured quantity in a vehicle, and Apple and Google are looking to leverage their strong mobile presence in that specific area, it’s becoming clear that Microsoft, along with Amazon, are looking to take a road less traveled. Rather than putting a drivers focus on the in-dash unit of their car and forcing auto makers to pick and choose which of their inventory supports these mobile operating systems, Amazon and Microsoft are looking to leverage their impressive cloud services across hardware.

Car buyers are watching an ever so slight rift develop as the concepts of connected cars develop. Taking a 30,000 foot view of the divergent timelines, there is a future where car companies and lawmakers agree on the right circumstances for a completely autonomous future. In this future, autonomous cars become moving entertainment centers, fully equipped with the latest apps and are an extension of a user’s preferred smartphone experience.

On the other hand, there is a more immediate and slightly less autonomous future where a car becomes the hardware extension of an ever-present cloud assistant. To which, a user begins a conversation, internet search, appointment, schedule, document, phone call, meeting, briefing etc from a PC, continues that same conversation throughout the home or a car (hands-free) and ends it on any mobile device of their choosing.

Apple and Google definitely have the market cornered on the mobile experience, but if CES 2017 is any indication, the connected car landscape remains a wide open and changing market. It will be interesting to see which of the two approaches become mainstays in the future.

Let me know which interpretation you prefer or think will win out in the end and why, in the comments below.

Kareem Anderson

Networking & Security Specialist

Kareem is a journalist from the bay area, now living in Florida. His passion for technology and content creation drives are unmatched, driving him to create well-researched articles and incredible YouTube videos.

He is always on the lookout for everything new about Microsoft, focusing on making easy-to-understand content and breaking down complex topics related to networking, Azure, cloud computing, and security.

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Kareem Anderson

Networking & Security Specialist

He is a journalist from the bay area, now living in Florida. He breaks down complex topics related to networking, Azure, cloud computing, and security

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low#

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app#

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities#

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount#

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier#

Microsoft’s Connected Vehicle Platform is a more far-reaching approach than either Apple’s or Google’s#