Microsoft plans to open Cortana to third-party developers to compete with Amazon Echo and Google Home
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Microsoft outlined its plans in a recent blog post, revealing that Cortana will be open for both third-party software and hardware developers. This means that third parties will be able to incorporate Microsoft's voice assistant in various devices, as well as write software that takes advantage of her capabilities. For software developers, Microsoft has prepared the Cortana Skills Kit, which is a set of tools that will allow developers to integrate the AI assistant into their apps, meaning users will be able to use voice commands to control large portions of the software. The preview kit is already available behind the curtains to a handful of partners and is expected to see a broader launch in early 2017.
Check out this teaser for the upcoming Cortana-powered Harman/Kardon speaker
source: Microsoft via TechCrunch
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