Microsoft and Amazon to Integrate Cortana and Alexa?

Microsoft and Amazon have their own versions of artificial intelligence powered digital assistants Cortana and Alexa that try to make our lives easier. The New York Times reported, both the companies will integrate their assistants in an unusual partnership to extend the abilities of their voice controlled digital assistants.

This partnership between Microsoft and Amazon will give the ecommerce company an instant foothold in about 150 million Cortana enabled Windows 10 computers while the Redmond giant will get Cortana on Alexa enabled devices. According to the Times report, someone using an Alexa device will have to say “Alexa, open Cortana” to talk to Microsoft’s digital assistant while Cortana users will have to say “Cortana, open Alexa” to talk to the Amazon’s assistant.

Although it is unusual for big technology companies to work together or cooperate, Jeff Bezos and Satya Nadella are concerned that keeping assistants from working together could hold them back as each assistant has unique strengths that could benefit the other. This cross platform integration will allow Alexa users easy access to Cortana’s Microsoft Office skills while Cortana can fill its own skills gaps by allowing users to call on Alexa’s 20,00o skills.

The partnership comes at a time when Microsoft is preparing to launch a Cortana speaker with Harman Kardon and push its digital assistant into cars, thermostats and other devices. Alexa on Cortana will be available on its Android and iOS apps after initially debuting on Windows 10 PCs.

Speaking about the collaboration and integration Jeff Bezos, in an interview said over time people would turn to different digital assistants the same way they turn to friends for advice about hiking and restaurant recommendations. “I want them to have access to as many of those A.I’s as possible,” he added offering Apple and Google a chance for a similar integration. The initial idea for the initial partnership was raised by Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos at Microsoft’s CEO summit in May last year.