Microsoft is Bringing Cortana to Android and iOS
In an increasing effort to integrate with other operating systems and platforms, Microsoft recently announced that it is bringing its personal assistant, Cortana, to devices that run on rival Android and iOS mobile operating systems. It will be releasing a Cortana app that can be downloaded through the Google Play Store and the App Store and installed onto mobile devices. The release will coincide with the release of Windows 10.
According to Microsoft VP for Operating Systems Group Joe Belfiore, the Cortana app will do most of the things that Cortana can do on a PC or on a Windows phone. Users can set up reminders for tasks, from something as simple as picking up the groceries, to something more complex like finishing a set of tasks for a project. It can buzz the users for reminders. It can also be set up to track a flight using both a PC and a device, and the device can receive notifications and updates.
Based on a sneak peek of the app, it may not be as powerful as the Windows Cortana, but it can still do a lot of things.
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The move is seen as part of Microsoft's effort to break into the mobile industry. Windows phones only make up a "miniscule part" of the mobile market, with Android and iOS devices dominating. Microsoft also has been slow in its uptake of developing apps for other platforms, although they have started releasing apps for Android and iOS platforms, such as those for the productivity suite.
Microsoft is naturally working on a newer version of its OS for mobile devices. It will be releasing Windows 10 for its phones later this year, according to the report. It will be enabled to work with "Universal Apps," which essentially are apps that will work across all Windows-based devices. The Windows 10 OS for mobile will also be adopting Continuum, which allows users to connect their phones to a monitor and use their phones as computing devices.
According to Microsoft, users will still be able to use Siri or Google Now on their devices even if they have Cortana. The Cortana app however will not be initially offered with voice control and it will not allow users on other platforms to use the app to change their settings on their devices.
Essentially, the app's value add is the fact that it can help users on other platforms integrate their phones with their Windows-based PCs, according to a report in Tech Times.
