Nuance Speech Technology Deployed by Wells Fargo to Enhance Customer Service Experience; Custom Speech Persona Assists Callers and Extends Valued Brand

Business Wire, Oct 13, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 2003

Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN), the speech experts, today announced that the Card Services division of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) completed its deployment of Nuance-powered speech recognition technology to help credit-card customers check balances and make payments. Developed by Nuance and Intervoice, Inc. (Nasdaq:INTV), the speech-enabled system is designed to enhance the Wells Fargo customer experience while attaining cost reductions. An extensive pilot run during the first half of 2003 proved significant cost savings as a result of more customers using the new speech driven self-service option.

"Our speech-enabled system places customers at ease with the new technology, while we benefit from decreased costs," said Tom La Centra, Director and VP of Customer Services, Wells Fargo Card Services. "We will continue to use customer feedback to further improve the customer experience while increasing the functionality and usability of our automated speech system."

Wells Fargo Card Services, in conjunction with Nuance and Intervoice, voice automated their call centers in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Des Moines, Iowa. Featuring a trustworthy custom voice persona specifically designed to reinforce Wells Fargo's brand, the new system provides callers with increased self-service options.

"Nuance offers network-based speech solutions designed to deliver measurable benefits to consumers and businesses alike," said Chuck Berger, president and CEO, Nuance. "As a financial services industry leader, Wells Fargo knows that long-term success means providing an extra measure of service for customers. The speech deployment at Wells Fargo Card Services is a terrific example of the business power of speech."

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $370 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, wealth management and estate planning, investments, mortgage and consumer finance from 5,800 stores and the Internet (www.wellsfargo.com) across North America and elsewhere internationally.

About Nuance

Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN) is the speech expert. Nuance's speech software solutions enable automated access to everything from account balances to flight information, email reading to voice activated dialing -- accessed using nothing more than the power of voice and an ordinary phone. In markets around the world, leading enterprises and telecommunications carriers -- including British Airways, Nomura Securities, OnStar, Sprint PCS, United Parcel Service, Vodafone, and many more -- work with Nuance to reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction and retention, create new sources of revenue and improve security. Nuance is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. and has offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.nuance.com or call 1-888-NUANCE-8.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, for example, those relating to planned implementation of Nuance products and the cost savings, customer satisfaction and other benefits attainable by using Nuance products. 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 new applications will not be implemented as anticipated or will not achieve anticipated benefits, cost savings and/or customer adoption in some or all circumstances, and other factors described in Nuance's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Nuance's last-filed report 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.

Nuance is a trademark of Nuance Communications, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.