For companies involved with mobile devices, having a digital assistant is a must. They let users have personalized content centralized in one place without being redirected to other services. Some of the more widely known digital assistants are Google Now, Apple’s Siri, Amazon Echo, and Samsung’s S Voice. Typically, these digital assistants stay restricted to their creator’s devices or platforms. Microsoft, however, believes that multiple platforms should have access to its digital assistant.
The company’s digital assistant, called Cortana, will launch on Android and iOS in the form of a standalone application. The launch on those platforms, in both phone and tablet varieties, will follow the revamped version of Cortana on Windows 10 devices that is scheduled to arrive later this year. The codename for this advanced version of its digital assistant is known internally as “Einstein.”
Eric Horvitz, Microsoft Research’s Managing Director, said the following about the next phase for Cortana:
“This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame.”
In recent months, we have seen Microsoft commit to platforms other than its own. Apps and services have been brought over to Android and some of Microsoft’s apps are even pre-installed on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella views the company’s strategy as mobile-first and cloud-first. To be successful with that strategy, playing on rivaling platforms is required.
Source: Reuters
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