Microsoft needs to embrace Alexa and Google Assistant now that Cortana is 'dead'

Earlier this week, Microsoft struck the final nail in the coffin for Cortana as a "traditional" digital assistant. Starting in early 2022, people will no longer be able to use Cortana for the usual things you'd desire to use a digital assistant for on iOS, Android, Surface Headphones, and the dedicated Harman Kardon Invoke speaker. Cortana, in the eyes of most people, is dead.

That's not what Microsoft volition tell yous, however. Microsoft'due south stance on the matter is that information technology's repositioning Cortana equally a virtual assistant that can help you lot inside of Microsoft 365 services like Outlook and Teams, but this isn't what I or many others consider to exist a "traditional" digital banana. Cortana can't turn on your lights or play your music library anymore, or have the convenience of existence "ever available" without having to open an app first.

On mobile, Cortana is no longer its own entity. It's non something you lot'll be able to become and download and use as a replacement for Google Assistant or Siri. The only time you'll collaborate with Cortana is when doing a productivity-based task inside a Microsoft 365 app or service. On the fashion to work and demand to check your email? You can use Cortana inside Outlook to read and reply to your latest e-mail equally you bulldoze.

It'southward those kinds of experiences that Microsoft is focused on with Cortana going frontward, which means that Microsoft no longer has a digital banana for consumers to interface with. I used to use Cortana all the time for adding things to my To Do, creating events in my Microsoft Account agenda, and setting reminders. With Cortana's entity going away on mobile, these experiences are no longer possible.

Goodbye Cortana, Howdy Alexa?

Because of this, Microsoft now needs to embrace the likes of Alexa and Google Assistant more than ever. Correct now, I'm unable to use my voice to add things to my To Practise using Alexa or Google Assistant. Trust me, I've checked. There'southward no skill or born service for Microsoft To Do on either platform, pregnant it's impossible.

Typing "Microsoft" into the skills database in the Alexa app will yield one result; Xbox. Don't go me wrong, I'm happy to run across the Xbox skill in here, but that's all there is from Microsoft. At that place's no To Do, or Microsoft News, for example. Admittedly, Alexa does take congenital-in support for your Microsoft Business relationship electronic mail and agenda, which works well and is corking to see.

It as well has Skype integration, which allows me to brand a call using my Skype account with only my voice. Just the lack of To Practice integration is a large miss for me. I'd like any lists or reminders that I set to sync to my To Practice app on Windows and Android, only it just isn't possible with Alexa. And the Google Banana is in an even worse identify. As far as I can tell, at that place's no style to get Google's Assistant to sync with my Outlook or Skype. Information technology but has the Xbox skill.

This is a problem for Microsoft's upcoming Surface Duo, which will likely exist using the Google Assistant every bit the default assistant on device. Surface Duo is a productivity device, and if it's unable to check my email or add something to my To Practice using the digital banana, that's not a great start. Microsoft has all these services that cannot be interfaced with via vocalism now that Cortana has been repurposed. For this reason, it needs to encompass Alexa and Google Assistant much more than it is currently.

Do yous concord? Allow us know in the comments.

Bonfire Lit 🔥

The definitive FromSoftware Souls-like power ranking (now with Elden Ring)

FromSoftware has speedily established itself as one of the world'due south premier action RPG developers with iconic releases like Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro, but which of these beloved games is the best of the all-time? Hither'southward our definitive FromSoftware Souls-like power ranking.