Nuance to buy VoiceSignal

by: admin Tuesday, May 15th, 2007

Rating: if you can’t beat them swallow them..

Dear me, its all happening today…..
Nuance is to acquire VoiceSignal Technologies.

From the press release
“Today, more than two billion people worldwide rely on mobile phones to stay connected, informed and productive. We see an expanding opportunity in helping consumers to use the powerful capabilities of their phones and to access the array of content and services available on the mobile Web,” said Paul Ricci, chairman and CEO, of Nuance Communications, Inc. “We understand how to unlock the extraordinary potential of the mobile experience with speech. VoiceSignal’s roster of solutions, language experience, relationships and talented employees will help Nuance deliver on the promise of the mobile lifestyle for consumers, device manufacturers, carriers and mobile Web content providers.”

What we think?
Well Nuance has the voice services market now doesn’t it. Nuance has been the mobile voice leader and VoiceSignal was its biggest competitor. Actually, GoMo News parent company BKI Media had already pencilled analysis of Nuance vs VoiceSignal – but alas – it will no longer be.

So was VoiceSignal a threat to Nuance? Well Nuance is the DRAGON in the voice space and clearly a market leader in Internet to voice or voice recording and reproduction services. But VoiceSignal was taking a larger slice of the market and winning appeal in the mobile space.
For example it is no surprise that Third Screen Media (acquired by AOL today) has partnered with VoiceSignal for mobile advertising see: http://pushingthebarrier.typepad.com/pushing_the_barrier/2007/03/nuance_speech_b.html
And
http://pushingthebarrier.typepad.com/pushing_the_barrier/2007/03/third_screen_me.html
and now VoiceSignal finds itself acquired too.

WE PREDICT a partnership between Nuance and AOL, imminently.