A leaked product page on the Australian Parallels page, (since removed), indicates that version 11 of the popular virtual machine software will support Microsoft Windows 10’s Cortana virtual assistant via OS X.
The product page explains that as long as Windows 10 is running somewhere in the background, users will always be able to say “Hey Cortana” and receive a response (via Neowin).
It will be a bit ironic that Microsoft’s Cortana assistant will be available to OS X users before Apple’s own virtual helper Siri. Many Mac users have long called for Apple to port Siri to the Mac operating system, but so far their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
For Cortana to work in OS X, the Parallels app simply has to be running a virtual Windows 10 machine, the app does not need to be running in the foreground to respond.
Other notes of interest from the leaked Parallels product page indicate Parallels 11 is Windows 10 and OS X 10.11 El Capitan ready, is 50% faster, and boasts much improved battery life. Other new features include improved Windows printing, improved file associations, and more.
No announcement has been made as yet about a firm launch date for Parallels version 11, although with the Windows 10 release coming on Wednesday, we should see an announcement quite soon.
Cortana is also coming soon to the iPhone, as Microsoft has announced plans to offer a Cortana app for iOS, sometime later this year.
