Nuance's Speech Recognition Software Powers T-Mobile's Voice Activated Services

Business Wire, March 12, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2002

Deutsche Telekom's mobile operator deploys Germany's first natural

language voice recognition application

Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN), the global leader in software for a voice-driven world, today announced it is working with Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH, a leading provider of wireless telecommunications services, to provide T-Mobile customers with a range of new voice-driven services. Nuance provided the speech recognition software and professional services to make the mobile-user experience rapid, easy and enjoyable.

The EasyGate services provide a voice portal and voice-activated address book, which is available to all T-Mobile's 23.1 million customers. The EasyGate voice portal enables users to dial telephone numbers stored in their personal address books, make directory inquires, access information and conduct transactions, simply by speaking their requirements. Guided through the system by a friendly voice, customers can instruct the address book to "dial Thomas Schmidt at work" or "buy tickets" and they will automatically be connected. Nuance software identifies key words from the sentences and processes the commands with exceptionally high accuracy. Customers can also revert to using key navigation words such as "help," "repeat," "suspend" and "hang up."

Users are able to store up to 150 personal address book names with up to four different telephone numbers each. These numbers can be entered into the address book either verbally over the phone or via the Internet at http://www.t-mobile.de/easygate/.> In addition, customers of T-Mobile's pre-paid service, known as Xtra, automatically have access to a service called ServiceManager that enables them to administer and configure their network settings using simple voice commands. Using ServiceManager, T-Mobile customers are able to enter discount codes, change their rate plans, turn roaming on and off and operate the callback feature. They can also obtain information about all these features. Currently 10,000 calls a day are made to the service.

ServiceManager is the first voice-activated application in Germany to deploy natural language voice recognition. Because of Nuance's advanced speech recognition software, the system is able to recognize unorthodox number sequences such as "zero, five, eleven, four-hundred and fifty-six." ServiceManager is powered by Nuance's speech recognition engine and incorporates dialogue design from Nuance's partner, HFN.

"These applications pay very close attention to presenting an easy-to-use and simple interface to callers," said Charles Anderson, business development director of Nuance, Germany. "T-Mobile customers will immediately notice the benefits. Gone are the days when users had to keep taking the phone away from their ears, to check the screen or fidget with the keypad, navigating multi-level menus with multiple choices."

Andersen continued, "complex speech recognition systems are emerging frequently in Europe. With more and more complex systems announced and in service, speech recognition is becoming an ever more important part of our everyday lives."

About Nuance

Nuance's speech recognition, voice authentication and text-to-speech software is changing the way companies interact with customers over the phone. In markets around the world, leading carriers and corporations -- including British Airways, Nomura Securities, OnStar, Sprint PCS, United Parcel Service, Vodafone, and many more -- use Nuance's software to reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction and retention, create new sources of revenue and improve security. Nuance's software powers a range of innovative applications including automated directory assistance, voice-activated dialing, self-service banking, and voice-driven customer relationship management. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. and has offices around the world. For more information, visit www.nuance.com or call 1-888-NUANCE-8.

About T-Mobile

T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH is a leading provider of mobile telecommunications services and is number two in Europe. It is the subsidiary of T-Mobile International AG, which supplies over 23.1 million customers (as at end of 2001). T-Mobile Germany has 10,000 employees and obtained a turnover of about six billion euros in 2000.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, for example, those relating to the anticipated success and performance of the T-Mobil applications. There is no assurance that the results contemplated by any forward-looking statements will be realized. The following factors, risks and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or implied in this press release's forward-looking statements: the risk that T-Mobil will be able to handle the anticipated customer volume; the risk that T-Mobil's applications will not be accepted and adopted by consumers; the risk that T-Mobil's applications will not perform as anticipated; and other factors described in Nuance's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Nuance's last-filed prospectus and quarterly report on form 10-Q. Nuance does not undertake to update any oral or written forward-looking statements that may be made by or on behalf of Nuance.