Microsoft may bring its Cortana digital assistant to iOS

Microsoft is preparing to release an advanced version of its Cortana digital assistant on iOS and Android in the future, reports Reuters. The software is being developed as part of the company’s artificial intelligence project, codenamed Einstein.

“This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame,” said Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research and a part of the Einstein project, in an interview at the company’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters.

Our take on the news:

Microsoft has been focused on mobile under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, expanding its presence on iOS with Office for iPhone and iPad. Bringing Cortana to iOS is the next logical step, even it means Windows Phone loses the exclusivity of this feature.