Microsoft Cortana Skills Kit And Devices Now Available Via Public Preview
Have you been itching to get your hands on the Cortana Skills Kit? Microsoft just announced at Build 2017 in Seattle, Washington that the Cortana Skills Kit will now be available for public preview. The kit had originally only been available for select developers.
According to Microsoft, Cortana is “the world’s most personal and extensible digital assistant—now easier than ever to integrate with your solutions.” Cortana uses natural language processing, therefore, developers do not need to code every variation. Cortana proactively suggests skills to each user and offers an unique experience based off the user’s preferences. Cortana’s skills are also immediately available without the addition of another application.
Developers will be able to use and publish bots from the Microsoft Bot Framework. They will also have the ability to integrate existing web services and repurpose code that has already been used with Amazon’s Alexa to be used with Cortana. Cortana’s skills should work for Windows 10, Android, and iOS as well as devices based on the Cortana Devices SDK.
Microsoft also announced today that it will be working alongside HP and Intel in order to bring Cortana to more devices. It will also collaborate with Expedia, Capital One, and home repair company TalkLocal to additional more Cortana skills. Microsoft noted that the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker with integrated Cortana will be available this autumn.
Cortana was first demonstrated at Build 2014 and reached a variety of devices by early 2015. Cortana is currently used by 145 million people each month. Her most recent skills include reminding users of events from their emails and displaying quick links in the Action Center.
The Cortana Skills Set is currently only available in the United States, however, developers from other countries can publish their skills to the Cortana channel on Microsoft's Bot Framework. Interested developers can sign-up here and will gain access some time this year.
According to Microsoft, Cortana is “the world’s most personal and extensible digital assistant—now easier than ever to integrate with your solutions.” Cortana uses natural language processing, therefore, developers do not need to code every variation. Cortana proactively suggests skills to each user and offers an unique experience based off the user’s preferences. Cortana’s skills are also immediately available without the addition of another application.
Developers will be able to use and publish bots from the Microsoft Bot Framework. They will also have the ability to integrate existing web services and repurpose code that has already been used with Amazon’s Alexa to be used with Cortana. Cortana’s skills should work for Windows 10, Android, and iOS as well as devices based on the Cortana Devices SDK.
Microsoft also announced today that it will be working alongside HP and Intel in order to bring Cortana to more devices. It will also collaborate with Expedia, Capital One, and home repair company TalkLocal to additional more Cortana skills. Microsoft noted that the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker with integrated Cortana will be available this autumn.
Cortana was first demonstrated at Build 2014 and reached a variety of devices by early 2015. Cortana is currently used by 145 million people each month. Her most recent skills include reminding users of events from their emails and displaying quick links in the Action Center.
The Cortana Skills Set is currently only available in the United States, however, developers from other countries can publish their skills to the Cortana channel on Microsoft's Bot Framework. Interested developers can sign-up here and will gain access some time this year.
