Microsoft Cortana voice assistant appears headed for Windows
A Microsoft job ad is seeking a engineer to help build the next generation of Cortana and redefine the Windows experience.
The next generation of Cortana could pop up on your Windows PC or tablet. At least, that's the takeaway from a Microsoft job listing.
A posting on Microsoft's Careers site seeks a software development engineer to "help shape the evolution of the next generation of Microsoft's Digital Assistant." The listing specifically seeks someone to join the Cortana team to "push the frontier" and "redefine the personalization experience on Windows."
Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant made its debut in Windows Phone 8.1 . The latest version of Microsoft's mobile OS is slated to roll out with new phones this month and as an update to existing Windows Phone handsets in June.
Named after a character in Microsoft's Halo games, Cortana joins Apple's Siri and Google's Google Now in providing information and performing specific tasks in response to your voice commands and questions. But Microsoft also wants Cortana to serve as a true digital assistant by reminding you of upcoming appointments and other activities.
Right from the start, though, the goal behind Cortana was to expand its reach beyond mobile devices and into Windows itself and Xbox One, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reported last September.
The full job posting for the Cortana software development engineer is listed below:
"Do you want to be part of the team that is building the next generation of Cortana? We are looking for strong and motivated developers to help shape the Evolution of the next generation of Microsoft's Digital Assistant - Cortana! The landscape of digital assistant is challenging, exciting, and ground-breaking space. Being part of the Cortana team you will have the opportunity to push the frontier, redefine the personalization experience on Windows. You can help create serendipitous moments of discovery and satisfaction for the users and enable signature experiences that make Windows your indispensable companion in the real world. We also own the search experience, which is one of the premier and most used experiences in Windows. As part of this job you will get significant exposure and opportunities to work on NUI related experiences, use of Web technologies, Services integration and work on hard system problems."