BOSTON — Alexa, meet Cortana.
Microsoft and Amazon are pairing their voice assistants together in a collaboration announced Wednesday.
Both companies say that later this fall, users will be able to access Alexa using Cortana on Windows 10 computers and on Android and Apple devices. They’ll also be able to access Cortana on Alexa-enabled devices such as the Amazon Echo.
Microsoft says the tie-up will allow Alexa customers to get access to Cortana features such as for booking meetings or accessing work calendars. Cortana users, in turn, can ask Alexa to switch on smart home devices or shop on Amazon’s website.
The use of voice assistants is growing.
Google and Amazon already have smart speakers on the market.
Apple has HomePod coming with its Siri assistant, while Samsung plans one with Microsoft’s Cortana.
Amazon has little to lose from the partnership, and Microsoft’s Cortana — which has been largely limited to laptops — might get discovered by more users because of it, said Carolina Milanesi, a mobile technology analyst at Creative Strategies.