Best Buy, Macy's And Staples Offer Coupons And Savings With Cortana And Microsoft Edge On Windows 10

Microsoft released a "pilot feature" on Wednesday that will automatically provide coupons for online stores. On Windows 10, the Cortana personal assistant will now detect when a website has available coupons and offers and suggest deals.

In an example, the company visits Spikes & Valley's outdoor camping store. By clicking on the Cortana icon in the right hand side of the address bar, Cortana automatically suggests an offer for 40 percent off selected purchases.

The initial release supports multiple retailers, like Best Buy, Macy's and Staples. This feature only works when using Microsoft's new Edge browser, which deeply integrates Cortana to provide suggestions during web browsing.

Microsoft is not stopping there, however. The company states that in the coming months, the functionality will be expanded through a partnership with coupon provider Shopular. But although Microsoft is working with third parties, the feature does not take you away from the retailer's website: an in-browser bar pops up over the retailer's website providing the coupon code.

Cortana will not just offer up coupons. When a user visits a restaurant website, Cortana will automatically display the map directions, opening hours and even offer to make a reservation. Cortana will also track packages, provide dictionary definitions and map locations.

Cortana and Microsoft Edge are a part of Windows 10, which is available as a free upgrade for genuine users of Windows 7 and 8.1 for the first year.