If you were
following the daily dose of tech news (which does appear occasionally apart
from the usual staple diet of politics and sport), you would know that Cortana
is now on Android. For the uninitiated, Cortana is a personal assistant created
exclusively for Windows and in particular, for the Window Smartphone. So, why
did it have to venture into the Android space?
The answer is actually pretty simple: Because the Windows Smartphone simply didn’t take off! If Microsoft had continued with its strategy of releasing its products/applications only on its own operating system, the application too would have bombed along with Windows. The apps, no matter how good they were would have failed to find a larger audience and tanked for loss of users.
The change in Redmond’s strategy
Microsoft has sought to make up for the failure of the Windows phone in two ways: by focusing on cloud-based products and by making Microsoft applications available on other mobile platforms. The latter a decision that stems from the realisation that Windows is no longer a credible option in the Smartphone segment.
Cloud-Based Services
That Microsoft would make a mark in the cloud-based services segment was never in doubt. This is evident in the success of Azure with services like Operational security assurance (OSA) that protects power and utility companies from security attacks and PhotoDNA, that prevents online stalkers from gaining access to protected photographs gaining well-deserved appreciation.
The Android foray
When the Windows phone was released, Cortana was a key part of the marketing campaign around it. Cortana was in fact the vital link that strung together various parts of the Windows phone such as Bing, Xbox, email etc neatly. In short, it was a niche service available only for Windows Smartphone users.
So Cortana on Android means that Windows under Satya realizes that it is not a good strategy to let other Windows apps die at the altar of the Windows phone and that the only way to popularize its mobile applications would be to make them available on popular mobile OS platforms.
This is actually a good move by Microsoft though observers might say it had no other way out. But now that Windows’ premier app is on Android, it paves the way for more exciting apps from the Microsoft stable.
The answer is actually pretty simple: Because the Windows Smartphone simply didn’t take off! If Microsoft had continued with its strategy of releasing its products/applications only on its own operating system, the application too would have bombed along with Windows. The apps, no matter how good they were would have failed to find a larger audience and tanked for loss of users.
The change in Redmond’s strategy
Microsoft has sought to make up for the failure of the Windows phone in two ways: by focusing on cloud-based products and by making Microsoft applications available on other mobile platforms. The latter a decision that stems from the realisation that Windows is no longer a credible option in the Smartphone segment.
Cloud-Based Services
That Microsoft would make a mark in the cloud-based services segment was never in doubt. This is evident in the success of Azure with services like Operational security assurance (OSA) that protects power and utility companies from security attacks and PhotoDNA, that prevents online stalkers from gaining access to protected photographs gaining well-deserved appreciation.
The Android foray
When the Windows phone was released, Cortana was a key part of the marketing campaign around it. Cortana was in fact the vital link that strung together various parts of the Windows phone such as Bing, Xbox, email etc neatly. In short, it was a niche service available only for Windows Smartphone users.
So Cortana on Android means that Windows under Satya realizes that it is not a good strategy to let other Windows apps die at the altar of the Windows phone and that the only way to popularize its mobile applications would be to make them available on popular mobile OS platforms.
This is actually a good move by Microsoft though observers might say it had no other way out. But now that Windows’ premier app is on Android, it paves the way for more exciting apps from the Microsoft stable.
