Nuance and Speech Technology Associates Team to Develop Fordham University's Advanced Voice Automation System for Students, Parents and Faculty

Business Wire, July 18, 2005

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN), the voice automation expert, today announced that one of the nation's first university deployments of advanced voice automation technology -- integrating telephony, speech recognition and Web-based information -- is powered by Nuance's customer-proven, standards-based platform technology. Nuance partner Speech Technology Associates, Inc. (STA), a provider of advanced speech recognition technology, developed the sophisticated speech recognition and CTI-enabled auto-attendant solution, Automated Operator(TM), for the Fordham University Enrollment Group.

Automated Operator(TM) for Education makes life more productive for students, faculty, and staff by providing convenient one number access to people, information and services, including frequently asked questions (FAQs). Complex inquiries are transferred to Fordham University Enrollment Services, accompanied by student data via computer telephony integration. Enrollment representatives can then automatically access screen-popped records and information when speaking with a caller.

Comprising the voice automation core of Fordham University's Automated Operator(TM) implementation is Nuance Voice Platform(TM) 3.0, an open, VoiceXML platform optimized for the deployment and operation of voice automation solutions. Nuance Voice Platform envelops Nuance's speech application design experience, and also provides access to Nuance's market-leading speech recognition, voice authentication, and text-to-speech software. The result: reduced up-front capital investment and ongoing maintenance costs, accelerated time-to-market and an enhanced caller experience.

"We are pleased to combine the robust features of both Concentric Solutions 5.0 and Nuance Voice Platform 3.0 for Fordham University," said Bernie Hannon, President of Speech Technology Associates. "We fully expect that the students and staff of Fordham University will immediately recognize the added benefits that CTI delivers, when combined with best-of-breed speech-enabled IVR applications."

"Fordham University Enrollment Services is committed to providing quick, complete, and courteous service to students, parents, faculty, and staff," said Gene Fein, Senior Associate Director of Technology. "Automated Operator(TM) for Education eliminates the frustration of phone trees, while providing immediate response to simple questions, thus freeing staff to respond to inquiries that are more complex. Fordham is pleased to be one of the first universities in the nation to integrate telephony, speech recognition, and the Web to serve the community. Fordham and STA share a commitment to superior service that has fostered an excellent working relationship between our organizations."

About Fordham University

Founded in 1841, Fordham is New York City's Jesuit University, offering exceptional education to approximately 15,800 students in five undergraduate colleges and six graduate and professional schools. Fordham has residential campuses in the Bronx, Manhattan and Tarrytown.

About Speech Technology Associates, Inc.

STA offers advanced speech recognition solutions that are easy to own, manage and cost justify. Our Automated Operator(TM) suite of modular components is changing the way enterprises communicate, ensuring that every customer interaction is a positive and fulfilling experience. Built on open technologies and components carefully chosen for their price and performance, we deliver a wide range of solutions designed to reduce costs, improve customer loyalty and preference, increase personnel productivity, and offer a distinct competitive advantage.

STA is located in Hudson, MA, with offices across the U.S. For more information, visit us at www.speechtechassociates.com or contact us directly at (978)562-2333.

About Nuance

In markets around the world, leading enterprises and telecommunications carriers -- including Avon, British Airways, Expedia, Nomura Securities, OnStar, Sprint PCS, United Parcel Service, Vodafone and Wells Fargo -- have worked with Nuance to ensure the best possible results from their investment in voice. Nuance is a leader in the voice automation market, providing software and solutions to more than 1,000 companies worldwide. Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN) 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.

This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to Nuance, including, for example, those relating to the business and customer benefits attainable by using Nuance Voice Platform. There is no assurance that the results contemplated by any such forward-looking statements will be realized. The following factors, risks and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements: the risk that Nuance Voice Platform will not achieve anticipated or projected decreases in up-front capital investment or ongoing maintenance costs, an enhanced caller experience, accelerate time-to-market for customer systems or other benefits 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 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.