Cortana For Windows 10 To Reach Australia And Other New Geographies This Summer

Microsoft wants to expand Cortana's footprints to other markets by bringing its virtual voice assistant to more PCs in different countries this summer. For this purpose, the Redmond software giant will start testing Cortana for Windows 10 in Australia, Japan, Canada and India in the coming months. However, those users based in Brazil and Mexico will have to wait for Cortana to arrive sometime later this year.

Cortana will initially be available in the U.S., the UK, China, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, reports The Verge. Microsoft has customised Cortana to suit the taste of its users based in its new geographies. In an interview with CNET, Microsoft's Susan Hendrich, principal programme manager lead said, “We're not designing a one-size-fits-all experience - we really wanted to embrace local customs and we took this into account when creating the digital personal assistant to be very unique to each culture.”

The company is adopting a careful approach to make sure it respects local culture besides bringing in specialised information in each country where it operates. For instance, Microsoft has decided to avoid jokes related to Italian scooters as the company realised through its interaction with locals that they disliked jokes on the same. Likewise, for the Japanese version, Cortana will bow to adhere to their culture.

“Cortana is customized to reflect the local language, idioms and speech patterns of each country,” said Microsoft. “We craft Cortana’s local personality based on insights about each culture while at the same time staying true to the foundational principles that are universal to all markets: Cortana is positive, confident, intelligent and transparent.”

Cortana has a feature called “Chit-Chat,” which allows users to chat with the voice assistant. Users can either ask Cortana to crack a joke or narrate a story. Cortana is also capable of tracking flights and scores of sports matches besides anticipating calendar appointments and displaying any information related to weather conditions. Users who are eager to get Cortana installed in their PCs can become a part of the Windows Insider programme and get the beta installation of Windows 10.

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