Microsoft and Nissan are expected to announce a new partnership later this week at CES, as the two companies work on a project that will eventually bring Cortana to cars.
Microsoft's efforts to expand into the automotive industry aren't exactly new, as the company has explored various ways to do so, and now it looks like a partnership with Japanese automaker Nissan is very close to putting Cortana behind the wheel as a digital assistant.
Cortana ,which debuted on Windows Phone but is now available on Windows 10 PCs, will likely be offered in select Nissan models as a way to perform a range of tasks hands-free.
Nissan has released a trailer of what appears to be a big announcement scheduled for January 5th at CES, when the company is expected to announce the official debut of Cortana in the car.
As for the capabilities offered by the digital assistant behind the wheel, not much is known at this point, but it is believed that Cortana will be able to perform tasks such as voice calls, reservations, setting reminders and controlling the navigation system in a similar way to what it does on a PC.
Bringing Cortana and other services to cars is part of Microsoft's efforts to conquer the automotive market, because compared to rivals Apple and Google, the software giant has no plans to develop cars or self-driving vehicles.
Full details about Microsoft's partnership with Nissan, including the new Cortana integration in vehicles manufactured by the Japanese automaker, will be announced on January 5 at CES.
