Microsoft Will Release Cortana 'Developer Preview' in the United Kingdom Starting Next week

Cortana, Microsoft's personal digital assistant (PDA), which recently predicted accurately as many as 15 out of 16 Fifa football World Cup matches, is now slated to hit the UK.

But Microsoft's PDA will be available as a 'developer preview' version that will be restricted only to developers in the United Kingdom using devices running Windows Phone 8.1.

The Redmond-based company has stated that Cortana will be available to developers by the end of next week.

Currently, Cortana is restricted only to Windows Phone 8.1 users in the United States, and the PDA is expected to roll out as a standalone update to users residing in other parts of the world.

Microsoft's PDA is also available for users (within the US) purchasing new Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones.

Cortana is also expected to hit China immediately after being released in UK.

The PDA's developer preview should give, those who have registered as app/software developers with Microsoft, the opportunity to run a real-time test under varying conditions, carry out benchmarking, and most importantly, report issues if any directly to the company.

For general users in the UK (Windows Phone 8.1 users other than developers), the wait for Cortana has just got longer, unless hackers devise ways to illegally invade the developer preview version of the PDA.

Once Cortana exits the developer preview phase, Windows phone 8.1 users in the UK will get access to some innovative features offered by the PDA such as personalised recommendation services based on users' interests, planners, customised audio alerts, people-based reminders that link to calls and emails, and chit-chat.

Microsoft's PDA is also rumoured to include a British language accent, to talk to users in the United Kingdom.

Windows Phone 8.1 users in the United Kingdom can let us know, as and when they see Cortana on their smartphones, in our comments section below.