Microsoft's Siri-rival Cortana will be powered by Foursquare - report

Microsoft's upcoming virtual assistant for Windows Phone 8.1 will be built around Foursquare technology, a new report has revealed.

Named after the Halo character Cortana, the program will match users' location data with information in Foursquare's huge database of nearby locations.

This will allow Cortana to tailor search results based on where you are, or promote nearby businesses with discounts, The Verge reported.

Like Siri, Cortana will also have access to system apps such as your calendar, calls, alarms and local weather.

Microsoft recently invested $15 million (£9.1m) in Foursquare to provide better location-specific data for its mobile apps and services, of which Cortana is believed to be a primary example.

The virtual assistant has been in development for Windows Phone since at least last June, but may eventually be implemented on PC and Xbox too.

Cortana will likely appear in April, when a final version of Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 update will begin releasing publicly.