Perhaps one of the most quintessential multi-device, multi-sense surface areas is Cortana.
Cortana is part of Windows Shell, it's built into Outlook, it's going to be built into
Teams.
It has these unique capabilities.
It has unique capabilities around scheduling meetings, transcribing meetings, keeping commitments.
It saves me every day because it knows the mails I send where I commit to things and
it reminds me of those.
And I already talked about how something like the Bot Framework can be used to build skills
for Cortana as well as many other surface areas.
There's one other thing that we've been doing with Cortana, which is ensuring that Cortana
can even converse with other personal digital assistants.
We want to make it possible for our customers to be able to get the most of that personal
digital assistant, not be bound to some single walled garden, and for developers to have
access to the maximum number of users.
And so we've been working with our friends across the lake at Amazon to really bring
Alexa and Cortana together to benefit every user and every developer out there.
And to really show you this, I wanted to introduce up on stage Megan Saunders from Microsoft
and Tom Taylor from Alexa.
MEGAN SAUNDERS: In my real life, I go to the people I trust for advice.
I talk to my mom about my teenagers, which is pretty often now.
I talk to Joe B. about my hair, and in the ambient world, we believe that assistants
will work together each and every day to help us.
TOM TAYLOR: Thanks, Megan.
It's really been great working with you and the rest of the team here at Microsoft with
Alexa and Cortana.
At Amazon, we believe voice will make customers' lives easier at home, at work, and everywhere
in between.
We share a vision that there will be many successful intelligent agents working together
to provide customers a more helpful experience.
Now, we all know it's early days, but I'm very excited to show the progress, so let's
do it.
MEGAN SAUNDERS: Okay, you go to your office, and I'm going to go to my house.
TOM TAYLOR: Okay.
MEGAN SAUNDERS: Now, at my house, we have an Echo in the kitchen.
But it's Cortana that manages my schedule and my e-mail.
And to get my day started, coffee is very important, and I like milk.
But with ravenous teenagers, we are often out.
Alexa, add milk to my shopping list.
ALEXA: I've added milk to your shopping list.
MEGAN SAUNDERS: Alexa, open Cortana.
CORTANA: Cortana here, how can I help?
MEGAN SAUNDERS: How's my day?
CORTANA: I'll take a look.
I see two events for today.
First up, at 5:30 p.m., celebration with Tom at Harvest Vine.
And then at 8:00 p.m., pick up Maddie from soccer.
What can I do for you?
MEGAN SAUNDERS: Send an e-mail to Tom Taylor saying, "I'll see you tonight."
CORTANA: Sure.
I'll e-mail Tom Taylor.
"I'll see you tonight."
Ready to send it?
MEGAN SAUNDERS: Yes.
CORTANA: Great.
I've sent it.
How can I help?
MEGAN SAUNDERS: I'm done.
TOM TAYLOR: Very cool.
CORTANA: Later.
(Laughter.)
TOM TAYLOR: I love being able to talk to both Cortana and Alexa on my PC.
Let me show you how they help me through my day.
Oh, I see I have an e-mail from Megan about dinner tonight at Harvest Vine.
Hey, Cortana.
Where is Harvest Vine?
CORTANA: Harvest Vine is about two miles away at 2701 East Madison in Seattle.
TOM TAYLOR: Better get going.
Hey, Cortana, open Alexa.
ALEXA: Hi there, this is Alexa, how can I help?
TOM TAYLOR: Get me a ride to Harvest Vine.
ALEXA: There's an UberX two minutes away from your Alexa address.
Should I order it?
TOM TAYLOR: Yes, please.
ALEXA: Okay.
Requesting your ride.
This may take a few moments.
Would you like to continue?
TOM TAYLOR: Yes.
ALEXA: Okay, your Uber driver, Sarah, is arriving.
Look for a Toyota Camry.
What's next?
TOM TAYLOR: Turn off the lights, please.
ALEXA: What else can I help you with?
TOM TAYLOR: What do you think about Cortana?
(Laughter.)
ALEXA: I like Cortana.
We both have experience with light rings, although hers is more of a halo.
(Laughter.)
Is there anything else?
(Applause.)
TOM TAYLOR: Thanks, that's it.
(Applause.)
Just a few of the things that Alexa and Cortana help me do throughout my day.
Well, Megan, it's really been great to be here with you today.
I can't wait to see what customers do.
MEGAN SAUNDERS: Yes.
We're really excited about the first step in a longer journey as intelligent friends,
both in the real and the ambient world.
Now, we're committed to meeting customers wherever they are on whatever device is most
convenient for them.
This experience is still in a limited beta, but you can go to this website to be notified
when we go live.
Now, for all of you developers out there, building skills for Cortana and Alexa is going
to enable access to more people across more devices, and we can't wait to see what you
will build.
Thank you.