Microsoft Brings Cortana Assistant To BMW, Nissan Cars

One of the major trends at this year’s CES has been adding on smart assistants to just about everything, ranging from vacuums and ovens to high-definition televisions.

But Alexa isn’t the only home assistant to jump into the Internet of Things fray: Microsoft has partnered with manufacturers Nissan and BMW to bring its smart home assistant Cortana to their cars. Through the dashboard, you’ll be able to perform tasks like finding event times, getting directions or making restaurant reservations. Availability on cars that Cortana functionality will be integrated with was not available.

The move is one of several that Microsoft has made into the automotive space. In December, the company announced a partnership with Volvo Cars to bring its Skype for Business application to its 90 Series. Through the dashboard screen, users can check meeting times and dial into phone calls while on the road.

Microsoft is also in the process of making similar moves in the home space for Cortana, as the company’s push for Cortana adds another contender to the increasingly competitive smart home market.

Last month, Microsoft made news for highlighting hardware and software requirements needed for Cortana on smart home devices at their WinHEC hardware conference. Examples of Internet of Things devices that Cortana could be on include toasters, thermostats or refrigerators. Per ZDNet, the push for Cortana support on Internet of Things devices is expected to go hand-in-hand with Windows 10’ Creators Update release, which is slated to drop this spring.