In collaboration with Joel Barbier
To stay aggressive, and to draw and retain workers, a rising variety of firms have adopted a hybrid work mannequin: designing the work expertise round and for staff, wherever they’re.
This implies enabling workers to work equally successfully on the workplace, at dwelling, and — once you’re an automotive firm — on the street.
Ford Motor Firm has enlisted Cisco’s assist to just do this — carry the hybrid work expertise to drivers and different car occupants. The businesses are collaborating to offer next-generation buyer experiences in Ford’s newest battery electrical autos (BEVs), together with the Mach-E Mustang vehicle and F-150 Lightning truck.
The joint initiative consists of integration of Cisco Webex into new Ford BEVs. In truth, the immersive, extremely collaborative mobile-office expertise might flip Ford BEVs into the very best place to carry a gathering. And, simply as you wouldn’t experience in a BEV with out your seatbelt mounted, Cisco has protected Webex with our full safety stack, together with Cisco ThousandEyes, Umbrella, Duo, and Meraki software program.
The partnership is the product of shut collaboration between Ford, the Cisco account workforce, Cisco engineering enterprise entities, and Buyer Zero.
“Permitting folks to stay productive by utilizing Webex in vehicles will unlock actually thousands and thousands of hours for patrons,” mentioned Ford Motor Firm President and CEO Jim Farley.
Cisco Webex allows Ford to take mobile-office conferences to the subsequent stage
Ford’s integration of Cisco Webex into its new BEVs makes it the primary auto producer to run native Cisco software-as-a-service in autos. Whereas utilizing Webex, drivers can take full benefit of the beneficiant 15-inch show and high-end sound system featured within the Mach-E Mustang and F-150 Lightning BEVs, which offer a wholly distinctive, “always-on” hybrid work expertise.
To keep away from the potential for distracted driving, all Webex assembly features are accessed hands-free by way of voice instructions whereas the automotive is in movement. As soon as the Ford BEV is parked, nevertheless, drivers can benefit from the full Webex video collaboration expertise.
This initiative additionally extends the Cisco community into Ford’s new BEVs – primarily offering a lifeline from every car again to Cisco. One function – Webex Calling – assigns a singular cellphone quantity to every car, enabling connectivity from just about anyplace, whereas additionally permitting Ford to contact the motive force if vital. Webex will present optimum audio efficiency by leveraging the car’s modem and antenna – and thru helpful options similar to cabin noise cancellation.
Cisco safety software program makes every Ford BEV a safe “cellular system on wheels”
To develop into and stay viable, hybrid work options should guarantee extremely safe connectivity from any location – together with electrical autos. For that reason, Ford will likely be incorporating Cisco’s full safety stack in its Mach-E Mustang and F-150 Lightning autos. This bundle will embrace the next safety elements:
Cisco ThousandEyes: Provides proactive community visibility/troubleshooting and dependable buyer/car community connectivity
Umbrella: Supplies DNS question safety; visibility into – and prevention towards – ransomware assaults; and menace intelligence
Duo: Performs multifactor authentication, allows Hybrid Work Zero Belief (any car, any firm), and ensures a tool safety posture
Meraki: Adjusts entry and enforces safety coverage based mostly on compliance, whereas additionally authenticating every consumer’s identification based mostly on SM set up standing with Duo
… And there’s far more to return, with Cisco appearing as “Buyer Zero”
As a part of their partnership, Ford and Cisco are instituting a fleet program that may assist make Cisco workers extra productive on the street, whereas additionally decreasing their carbon footprint. Because of this, Cisco will provide BEVs for its inner car fleets beginning in 2023. What’s extra, 4,000 Cisco EMEA workers can have the choice to obtain a BEV as their firm car – making Cisco a large Ford buyer and offering an lively laboratory for testing the businesses’ joint options. (And our EMEA workers aren’t complaining, both).
The Ford-Cisco partnership will finally embrace the next extra components designed to strengthen any firm’s cellular collaboration capabilities:
Utilizing Webex because the UI/UX for partaking with roadside infrastructure. This operate has the potential to dramatically improve security by enabling Webex to convey alerts about street situations, site visitors, pedestrians, roadside work zones, and extra.
Leveraging the Webex Predict AI platform to allow interactions with the individuals who have the largest influence on success.
Bidirectional vehicle-to-vehicle charging, permitting BEVs to distribute their cost to different close by autos. As well as, autos will likely be charged by connecting a particular plate on the underside of the automotive to inductive coils within the asphalt of a parking zone.
“In my 40-year profession, I’ve by no means had the prospect to enhance merchandise and invent new capabilities for patrons after we launch the product,” defined Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. “Shifting to a digital product and having software program be the massive differentiator goes to utterly change the sport for Ford.”
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