Microsoft brings Live Search to cars

On July 28, Microsoft announced availability of what it's calling "Microsoft Live Search for Devices," which it is billing the first of "many new services" for cars.

From the company's press release:

"Live Search for Devices enables partners to develop applications, including local search services, for in-vehicle infotainment. Live Search for Devices will be available for easier implementation in Microsoft’s automotive platforms, Windows Automotive and future releases of Microsoft Auto."

Windows Automotive, for those not immersed in Microsoft ABU (Automotive Business Unit) speak, is "an automotive-grade open software platform that provides carmakers, suppliers and developers with the building blocks they need to quickly and reliably create a broad range of advanced in-vehicle solutions to meet the growing needs of automotive consumers," Microsoft's Web site says. Microsoft Auto, meanwhile, is a "hardware/software reference platform" that provides mobile device integration, speech recognition, and infotainment.

(Elsewhere on the Microsoft Automotive site, the company describes its Microsoft Auto product as "an integrated middleware stack and hardware reference design for a more robust starting point." It identifies Windows Automotive as technology providing "complete control over the implementation of your device, with a variety of specialized tools to help tune your designs as you develop them.")

Live Search for Devices is available to car makers immediately, Microsoft said.

So what are some of these other, unnamed services coming from Microsoft for cars? (Xbox Live? IM and e-mail?) And what other kinds of platforms, beyond cars, can make use of Live Search for Devices? I’ve put in a couple of queries with the Redmondians, so stay tuned for more….