14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has long insisted for Cortana in Windows 10, but in reality, the adoption of the digital assistant on the desktop has so far been below expectations.
Despite the updates that Microsoft shipped occasionally as part of Windows 10 feature update, many considered Cortana a feature that makes less sense on a desktop computer, especially because digital assistants are often described as mobile-optimized features.
Microsoft apparently got the message, so the upcoming Windows 10 version 2004 will make Cortana a second-class citizen of the operating system, technically turning it into a service that’s specifically aimed at businesses and a lot less at consumers.
First and foremost, Microsoft now refers to Cortana as a component of the Microsoft 365 suite.
“Microsoft is announcing an updated Cortana experience in Windows 10 that will deliver more help from your assistant in Microsoft 365,” Microsoft says.
Cortana itself will be fully focused on productivity, something that has been spearheading Microsoft’s work on the desktop for several years already. But at the same time, this also represents a change of focus for Cortana, as the digital assistant will be mostly aimed at capabilities that make sense in the workplace, rather than at home.
“The upcoming update to Windows 10 will include access to a new Cortana experience with an emphasis on productivity, helping you quickly find the information you want across Microsoft 365,” Microsoft says.
And because Cortana’s focus on consumers is fading away, Microsoft is also pulling some features that no longer make sense in the enterprise. For example, controlling the music or a connected home with Cortana will no longer be possible, Microsoft says, mostly because nobody does that at work anyway.
Third-party skills in Cortana will be pulled as well as part of this new focus.
Microsoft will pull Cortana from Microsoft Launcher on Android as well, which is quite a surprising decision given that the launcher is also used by businesses as well. However, this leaves the door open to other digital assistants available on Android, including Google Assistant.
Cortana will also be pulled from older versions of Windows 10 that no longer receive support.
The new Cortana experience will first be limited to the United States and will include options that are specifically aimed at businesses, including several related to meetings and tasks.
“For English (United States) users, Cortana will assist you in better managing your schedule and tasks by staying on top of your calendar and focusing on what matters with meeting insights. You can speak or type requests to find people or files, or quickly create or query emails. You can also easily check your calendar, set a reminder, or add to your lists in Microsoft To Do,” Microsoft says.
Microsoft claims its productivity-based focus for Cortana will expand in other markets as well and will include features to get answers from Bing and the ability to chat with the assistant.
“AI in Microsoft 365 is driving a significant shift in how people interact with Microsoft 365 applications. Our experiences personalize and adapt to you, support you and help amplify your skills. You can see this shift in the personalized experiences we are enabling through Cortana, your personal productivity assistant in Microsoft 365. Cortana helps you stay on top of your day, save time and do your best work,” Microsoft says in a statement that clearly highlights its increased focus on businesses.
At the end of the day, making Cortana a business-oriented feature is the best way to go anyway, especially as consumers have so far been less interested in such capabilities in Windows 10. Whether or not digital assistants can make an impact on Windows 10 is something that remains to be seen, but for now, they’re by far more success on mobile devices than anywhere else.