One-Click, Voice-Driven Commands Make Mobile 411 as Easy as Saying, “Find Business Near Me”
Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced that Nuance Voice Control™, a one-click mobile search and messaging service powered by speech technology, is now available for BlackBerry smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM), including the BlackBerry 8800 available today from AT&T, and the BlackBerry 8830 from Sprint.
Nuance Voice Control is a one-click mobile search and messaging application that is driven entirely by natural voice commands. The subscription-based application is integrated with the built-in GPS of the BlackBerry 8800 series smartphones, making Nuance Voice Control the first location-based mobile voice search application that uses natural speech as its input mechanism. Nuance Voice Control for BlackBerry users can conduct location-based business searches (411) and receive driving directions using voice destination entry.
Nuance Voice Control for BlackBerry users can dial a contact, search the Web for business listings (411), news, weather, stock quotes, sport scores and more, as well as dictate email and text messages or create calendar appointments by simply pressing a button and speaking a command. Nuance Voice Control is currently deployed in North America with Sprint and Rogers Wireless and can be downloaded through Handango.
Nuance Voice Control enhances the BlackBerry 8800 user experience with the following capabilities:
- GPS-Based 411 by Voice – Enables users to ask for any business by name or category, with a single click.Example: User presses a key on the BlackBerry smartphone, says “Find Business Pizza near me” and receives a complete list of nearby pizza restaurants displayed on the phone screen, including the address, phone number and map links. The combination of voice input, visual output and GPS access gives users the easiest tool for instantly finding relevant businesses.
- GPS-Based Driving Directions by Voice – Enables users to get driving directions from their present position to any destination, with a single click.Example: User presses a side key on the handset, says “Get directions from here to 1500 Broadway, New York, NY,” and receives door-to-door directions from his current location. Voice destination entry eliminates the time-consuming task of keying in street or city names by allowing users to simply speak a destination.
“Combining speech recognition with GPS functionality allows easy access to feature-rich location-based capabilities using simple voice commands,” said Michael Thompson, vice president and general manager, mobile search and communications, Nuance. “With Nuance Voice Control, it’s easier than ever to conduct 411 searches on mobile devices, with the added benefit of location relevance. Nuance Voice Control also brings mobile navigation to a new level of convenience. With voice-enabled driving directions, users simply push one button and speak a destination point to the NVC application. Directions from their present position are then displayed on the handset’s screen. All it takes is one click.”
For more information about Nuance Voice Control, including a demo of available functionality, please visit http://www.nuance.com/mobiledevices. BlackBerry 8800 Series users can download Nuance Voice Control directly from their mobile devices, by visiting http://www.nuancevoicecontrol.com from their BlackBerry Internet browser.
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 http://www.nuance.com.
Nuance, the Nuance logo, and Voice Control 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.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.
