Microsoft Wants to Buy Speech Recognition AI Company Nuance Communications
Posted on 04/11/2021
Microsoft Corporation is in negotiations to acquire Burlington, Massachusetts-based Nuance Communications, Inc. The price is estimated to be around US$ 14 billion to US$ 16 billion. Nuance is arguably the most advanced speech recognition company in the world. Nuance Communications is Apple Inc.’s Siri partner. Siri is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.’s iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS operating systems. Siri is a spin-out from the SRI International Artificial Intelligence Center, and is an offshoot of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA)-funded CALO project.
Nuance Communications is an American multinational computer software technology corporation that provides speech recognition and artificial intelligence. Nuance Communications merged with its competitor in the commercial large-scale speech application business, ScanSoft (a Xerox spin-off), in October 2005.
Nuance Communications derive a portion of its revenues and bookings from arrangements with governmental users in the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere, contracts with the government in the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere, as well as various state and local governments, and their respective agencies.