Nuance Launches IP-Based Voice Dialer for Employee-to-Employee Communications; Speech Solutions Help Businesses Get More Value from VoIP Investments

Business Wire, Jan 18, 2007

IP-Based Internal Dialer Improves Employee Productivity, Eliminates Out-of-Date Employee Directories and Cumbersome Dial-by-Name Touchtone Systems; Next-Generation Application Supports SIP Protocol

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN), a leading supplier of speech and imaging solutions, today introduced SpeechAttendant[R] Internal Dialer, a turnkey, IP-based speech-enabled auto attendant solution for employee-to-employee communications.

Following rising corporate investment in VoIP and IP telephony, and the resulting demand for IP-based communication tools, Nuance has designed the new SpeechAttendant Internal Dialer to help organizations derive additional value and productivity from their IP infrastructures. With support for IP standards such as session initiation protocol (SIP), Nuance's next-generation auto attendant solution eliminates the need for custom IP-based deployments. Right out of the box, the solution is compatible with IP-based infrastructures from leading vendors such as Avaya, Cisco, Genesys and more, enabling customers to immediately benefit from employee productivity improvements.

Designed specifically for intra-company communications, the SpeechAttendant Internal Dialer enables employees to reach any person, department or location across the organization by simply dialing one number and saying a name. Organizations maintain a single inbound phone number powered by automated, speech-driven call routing to dramatically increase employee productivity and decrease telecommunications costs. The solution also allows employees to forward calls to their current location (such as a cell phone, home or remote office) for added convenience and efficiency.

"Our new SIP-based solution allows organizations to maximize IP-based infrastructure investments for improved employee productivity," said Richard Martel, general manager, AutoAttendant Solutions, Nuance. "The SpeechAttendant Internal Dialer will allow customers using SIP to seamlessly speech enable their corporate directory, thereby facilitating employee-to-employee communication. Various studies have shown that up to 50 percent of calls received by a company operator are for transferring calls between employees. But with SpeechAttendant Internal Dialer, these calls will be eliminated, freeing up operators to work on other tasks."

SpeechAttendant Internal Dialer is built on Nuance Speech Technology, the industry's leading speech recognition engine, and on SpeechAttendant, the industry's leading speech enabled auto attendant with over 2,000 systems deployed. The new solution delivers natural and accurate speech recognition capabilities and includes a unique dictionary of over one million pre-tuned names, with multiple pronunciations per name, to deliver superior performance and minimize the need for application tuning. The system supports all major SIP interfaces and is uniquely capable of overcoming background noise, cross talk, signal degradation, dropped packets, signal compression, and other challenges inherent in wireless and VoIP networks.

SpeechAttendant Internal Dialer automatically synchronizes with backend human resource databases to automate directory updates and ensure recognition accuracy with the most current corporate directory. With Nuance's innovative product design and structured implementation approach, the system can be deployed quickly and easily - often within just a few days. Pricing for a four-port, 1000-name system is under $20,000, including installation.

For an online demonstration of the new solution, visit http://www.nuance.com/autoattendant/demos/.> About Nuance Auto Attendant Solutions

Nuance Auto Attendant products allow callers to speak the name of a person, department, service or location and be automatically transferred to the requested party--without the hassle of searching for phone numbers or waiting to speak to an operator. SpeechAttendant solutions can route callers through menu-driven options and provide frequently requested information such as operating hours, mailing address, and driving directions to callers.

About Nuance Communications, Inc.

Nuance is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for business and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications, and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share, and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance's proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

Nuance, the Nuance logo and SpeechAttendant are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.