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Microsoft creeps further into cars

Microsoft cuts a deal with Siemens VDO to provide software for the automotive equipment manufacturer.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
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Wayne Cunningham

From CNET News.com, automotive equipment maker Siemens VDO struck a deal with Microsoft to use its automotive platform. In other words, Siemens VDO has been building car infotainment systems and kludging together software for them. Along comes Microsoft, eager to get into the automotive market, and Siemens VDO doesn't have to hassle with software anymore. Actually, Microsoft is further along in its plans to take over the automotive world than you might realize, with its software being used in Honda, Acura, and, most recently, Ford cars, along with Pioneer car infotainment systems. Siemens VDO has been working on a system to let people plug in their portable electronics, such as cell phones and MP3 players, and has settled on Microsoft for the software component.