Auto Platform Gets Traction

After nearly a decade of trying to apply its Windows technologies to the automotive market, Microsoft appears to have finally hit upon a winning combination of technology, user benefit, and business model with Auto 3.0. Based on Windows CE, Auto 3.0 gives car manufacturers an economical way to enhance their cars with features such as voice-controlled music playback from portable devices and voice-activated calling over Bluetooth mobile phones. Fiat and Ford are already shipping cars that implement these features.

Focus on Entertainment, Communication

With its latest automotive platform, Microsoft is focusing on two areas that appeal to end users: in-car entertainment, such as music playback, and communications, such as control of Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones.

For example, the platform allows users to play music stored on an iPod, Zune, or any USB-based device, include USB flash drives. The system automatically catalogs the music on the device and interprets voice commands to select music by artist, genre, or title. Given a command to “play similar,” the system will select other music that is similar to the track currently being played.