Microsoft's Ash: Our top priority with Cortana is Windows Phone

Microsoft's Marcus Ash, the group program manager for Cortana on Windows Phone, said on Friday that Cortana might be offered to iOS and Android users. While Google allows iOS users to download Google Now, Ash's rationale for sharing Microsoft's virtual assistant was completely different. Ash gave a scenario of a Windows PC user with an iOS or Android phone. In that situation, Cortana would need to run on the person's phone in order for the program to offer him all of the features it is capable of providing. Right now, the beta version of the virtual personal assistant is available in the U.S. only, on Windows Phone 8.1 flavored handsets.

Apparently, Ash's comments set off a number of complaints from Windows Phone users, wondering how he could talk about sharing Cortana when the service hasn't been perfected for its native platform. In a series of tweets, the Cortana program manager laid out Microsoft's game plan for the personal assistant. Number one on the list, is to make Cortana great for Windows Phone customers. Number two is to make Cortana so good for Windows Phone users that they tell everyone they know to switch platforms. Only after Microsoft takes care of Windows Phone and Windows users first, will the software giant consider letting Cortana out to play with others.

Get the point? Ash had to backtrack on his comments yesterday about Cortana possibly being made available for iOS and Android. Apparently, he was surprised at the backlash that he faced from the number of Windows Phone fans. You can check out his tweets on the subject of Microsoft's voice-activated virtual assistant by clicking on the slideshow below.


source: @marcusash via WPCentral