Workaholics Rejoice! Harman Is Putting Microsoft Office In Your Car

The emergence of in-flight Wi-Fi effectively eliminated lazy travel days, a time where we could kick back, watch a movie, take a nap and sip a frosty bevvy or two. Now, an airplane is a giant budgie-shaped office in the clouds, one that compels us to work—Internet speeds reminiscent of 1999 be damned.

But traveling via car, well, we’re still granted some peace—a place to unwind and bask in our own thoughts. Or at least that’s how it is now, but thanks to Harman and Microsoft, this last savored solitude could soon be ruined.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Harman announced that it’s bringing Microsoft Office—including Word, Excel and Powerpoint—to a car near you (precisely which vehicles remains to be seen, but Harman currently works with many OEMs, including BMW, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and even Harley Davidson). It will operate via voice-activation, likely using Microsoft’s Cortana, meaning you’ll be able to work on spreadsheets and file your taxes while driving. This all seems very safe.

In fairness, both Harman and Microsoft note that the system’s most useful function right now is to provide an integrated way to respond to emails, set up and join phone meetings without having to input any codes, and talk via Skype.