Microsoft “working on Cortana-enabled Office assistant app”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Microsoft is reportedly working on a new Office assistant app that is Cortana-enabled.

A prototype app called Work Assistant has emerged on the Windows Phone store, which integrates with Microsoft's digital assistant, The Verge reports citing Digital Spy.

The service - which can't be installed by the general public from the store - will apparently accept voice commands via Cortana, to open, edit and share documents.

As Office is now available on iOS and Android, integration could go beyond desktop and see some of Cortana's features make their way onto rival platforms in the future.

In a recent AMA on Reddit, Bill Gates revealed he is involved in the development of a new 'Personal Agent'.

"One project I am working on with Microsoft is the Personal Agent which will remember everything and help you go back and find things and help you pick what things to pay attention to," he explained.

"The idea that you have to find applications and pick them and they each are trying to tell you what is new is just not the efficient model - the agent will help solve this. It will work across all your devices."

Such a service is reminiscent of '90s digital assistant Clippy, although the Cortana version is expected to be more subtle and useful.