Microsoft"s digital "personal assistant", Cortana, launched with the arrival of Windows Phone 8.1, and will soon be available in Windows 10 too. But as Microsoft makes more of its services and products available on other platforms, there has been much speculation over whether Cortana might also make its way to iOS and Android - a possibility that Microsoft has previously played down.
It seems that it may only be a matter of time before that finally happens and Microsoft frees Cortana to extend her reach to other platforms beyond the Windows ecosystem.
Business Insider reports that Microsoft held a meeting with a small group of journalists and analysts last week, at which the company"s chief experience officer (and former head of Windows), Julie Larson-Green, spoke about Cortana and how the assistant can be used for multiple tasks. She was then asked if that meant that Cortana would eventually be made available on other operating systems, to which she reportedly replied: "The short answer is, yeah."
Unfortunately, Larson-Green did not elaborate further on Microsoft"s plans in that regard, but given the company"s desire to make its products as widely available as possible, it would certainly be consistent with that strategy.
However, it would be another kick for Windows Phone, which would lose yet another unique feature setting it apart from its rivals, if Cortana were to be made available elsewhere. Of course, it"s possible that Larson-Green was referring to Windows 10 when she said that Cortana would be made available on other operating systems - and Microsoft fans will no doubt be clinging in hope to that interpretation. Time will tell.
Source: Business Insider