Microsoft is continuing to shift Cortana as an Office 365 assistant. It has revealed that the Cortana app which worked as a third-party app for many smartphones will cease to operate post early 2021. The consumer-focussed Cortana Skills will be shut down as early as September 2020. This news was quite a lot to take in for all of us, especially when Microsoft released its latest Cortana app update a month back. But. it is what it is.
The Announcement of November 2019
There was an announcement made back in November 2019, which revealed the shutting down of general-purpose consumer-focused Cortana apps outside of the US. Following this incident,t Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft said, “Cortana needs to be that skill for anybody who’s a Microsoft 365 subscriber.” The Verge reported such.
And let’s be honest, Microsoft has little or nothing to lose in this strategy. This is its major potential move to shift its focus to B2B enterprise services by letting go of B2C features that were solely created to compete Amazon, Apple, and Google.
What Happens to Cortana Integrated Smart Speakers?
Their decision on this is so firm, that even the Harmann Kardon Invoke, that was the only smart speaker featuring Cortana will also have its firmware revoked. Users of this smart speaker won’t have any access to the smart voice assistant, however, they will be able to use it as a Bluetooth speaker. In the same way, Surface Earbuds and Surface Headphones will still enjoy access to the Cortana business applications, but the consumer-oriented services will be discontinued.
How is Microsoft Compensating for the Troubles Caused?
Microsoft is offering a $50 gift certificate to Invoke users to compensate for the troubles they are making their customers go through. Although, just a heads up, you are not eligible for this offer if you have not used the device in the past 12 months.
What is the Bigger Picture Microsoft’s Aiming at?
In a few ways, this kind of bars Cortana from emerging as a leading smart voice assistant. As she will now only be limited to Office 365, it takes away her popularity with the masses. Cortana as Office 365’s personal assistant is just one element of their strategy. Azure Bot Services and Microsoft Bot Frameworks are one of the most in-demand chatbots creating services right now. They develop chatbots and integrate them with smart voice assistants and all the other backend services to create custom assistants.
Increasing Need for Voice AI May See Microsoft as the Ultimate Winner.
The need for voice AI is rapidly skyrocketing, as more and more companies are getting custom voice assistants made. Be it startups or well-established companies, every single one of them is creating their own personalized voice assistants to attract more customers. Cortana is just a part of the strategy, and Microsoft has gained momentum in this race by being far ahead already.
Microsoft has already started taking huge strides in the health care industry, taking voice technology to new heights. Microsoft is surely going to emerge out as the winner, regardless of people remembering Cortana’s name or not.
