Microsoft Bids Farewell to Cortana - The Last Remnant of Windows Phone Era

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Goodbye Cortana!

In a move that echoes Microsoft's strategic shifts, the tech giant has officially discontinued the Cortana App for Windows. Launching the App would greet you with the following message:

Cortana in Windows as a standalone app is deprecated.

The support page further details the discontinuation:

We're making some changes to Windows and Microsoft 365 that will impact Cortana users. Cortana in Windows as a standalone app is deprecated. Support for Cortana in Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams Rooms will end in the fall of 2023. Cortana in Outlook mobile will continue to be available.

 

Cortana App

 

Analysis

Cortana's journey commenced during the Windows Phone 8 era and seamlessly transitioned into Windows 10 in 2015. Expanding its reach, Microsoft also introduced the Cortana App for iPhone and Android platforms. This endeavor drew inspiration from the AI hologram of the same name in Microsoft's HALO series.

However, Microsoft's attempts to position Cortana as a viable digital assistant alternative on Android and iPhone platforms didn't yield the desired outcome. Consequently, the app met its discontinuation in March 2021. Subsequently, Microsoft has now pulled the plug on the Cortana App for Windows.

The fall of Cortana can also be attributed to the death of Windows Phone. Microsoft had since been looking for an answer to Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant.

With the surge of conversational AI and Microsoft's collaboration with OpenAI, the revival of Microsoft in the digital assistant sphere was imminent. This resurgence was officially unveiled during Build 2023, where Microsoft introduced "CoPilot" for Windows 11 - a cutting-edge AI-powered digital assistant. This momentous announcement effectively sealed the fate of Cortana, making today's announcement a mere formality.


Source:

Microsoft Support Page

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