Microsoft Build 2018 Unveils Alexa Partnership and Azure Upgrades
Microsoft showcases a major collaboration between Cortana and Amazon's Alexa alongside significant Azure and AI developer tools at its Build 2018 conference. The company focuses heavily on cloud capabilities, open-source edge computing, and smart coding assistants.
Microsoft takes a major step in digital assistant integration by demonstrating Cortana working seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa at Build 2018. This collaboration allows users to access Alexa through Windows 10 PCs to hail rides or use Cortana through Amazon Echo devices to check schedules. The integration launches initially as a limited beta, though Microsoft does not provide a specific timeline for a full public rollout.
The technology giant heavily emphasizes its cloud platform by open-sourcing the Azure IoT Edge Runtime and adding Kubernetes management support through the Azure Kubernetes Service. Microsoft also brings Azure Maps to general availability, partners with DJI and Qualcomm for IoT initiatives, and introduces Project Kinect for Azure to provide AI developers with advanced sensor packages. Furthermore, the Azure Bot Service receives nearly 100 new features for language understanding and translation, currently serving around 300,000 developers.
Microsoft introduces Visual Studio IntelliCode, an artificial intelligence extension that provides smart suggestions to improve code quality and boost programmer productivity. The company also rolls out new previews and updates across its broader ecosystem, including tools for GitHub, Teams, and the Fluent Design system. These announcements highlight a clear shift away from purely Windows-focused events toward a cloud and AI-first developer strategy.