Earlier this year, Microsoft had announced that its personal assistant Cortana would only be available on Windows 10 in select countries. Unfortunately, India wasn’t on the list. That might change soon.
However, in an update on the Windows Blog, Marcus Ash, Group Product Manager for Cortana at Microsoft said, “As we’ve already announced, on July 29th, Cortana will debut on Windows 10 in seven countries: the U.S., UK, China, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. Today we’re announcing that over the coming months, Cortana will be available to customers in the Windows Insider Program in Japan and Australia, and in English in Canada and India. Later this year, Cortana will also be available to Windows Insiders in Brazil and Mexico, and in French in Canada.”
This announcement will be exciting to users in India that have been eagerly waiting for Windows 10. Explaining the insight behind Cortana, Ash said, “Our research has shown that aspects of personality such as humor, politeness and approach to national identity resonate differently in different Cortana markets. For example, Cortana understands how highly the UK values self-deprecating humor. Dryness and irony are traits that filter subtly into her personality, and she uses playful sarcasm in her responses if she senses you’re fooling around.”
Cortana: Now, Microsoft has decided to give it a big push in Windows 10 and bring it to desktops. The company plans to bring Cortana to Android and iOS as well.
Ash added, “In Italy, Cortana is proud of national identity. Cortana will use words like “our” in responses to customers, and even sings the national anthem when asked to sing a song. Cortana is also aware of important cultural touchstones in each market. In France, Cortana celebrates the Cannes Film Festival. In Canada, Cortana loves hockey, and in India, Cortana celebrates cricket star and national hero Sachin Tendulkar.”
To highlight its focus on India, Microsoft even included an Indian joke:
Humour and cultural relevance is key to impress Cortana’s Indian user base.
Although, the focus is on “cultural savviness,” Microsoft’s focus with Cortana is more towards understanding geographical context and adapting to language, accent and sensitivities. Cortana in all likelihood will continue to have a uniform experience across markets and geographies.