There were a lot of technology stories in 2011. Whether you were talking about the new (or renewed) take on cloud computing or how Netflix shot itself in the foot with their price increase and then recapitulated on their increase because of the public outcry, the year 2011 had something for everyone.
However one of the most under reported tech stories of 2011 had to do with the company that is everywhere, yet most people have no idea who they are. The company I’m talking about is Nuance Communications. Nuance makes speech recognition software, the imaging software OmniPage and Paperport and the keyboard input software, Swype. They are the company that makes the speech recognition system in the Ford factory installed SYNC audio equipment possible. Their speech recognition system is also founded in the Audi and BMW automobiles. Chances are when you call a company with an automated voice recognition system; you’re probably talking to a product of Nuance. They also make the speech recognition software called Dragon which is available for the PC & Mac. Finally, they are the company behind the Apple iPhone 4S speech recognition system used in the Apple IOS Personal Assistant, SIRI.
Now, Android phone users will tell you that they’ve had speech recognition on their phones for years, but they will also grudgingly acknowledged that most of those systems are not as good as the current one for Apple. One of the companies that makes speech recognition software for the Android phones is a company called for Vlingo. In 2011, things got very testy between Vlingo and Nuance. Nuance took the Vlingo to court over patent infringements in 2009 and again in 2011. In turn, Vlingo countersued charging unfair competition and produced their own set of patents in court. In December of 2011, Nuance settled the lawsuit by buying Vlingo. Yup, they eliminated their competition by acquisition.
So, why is this important? Well, if you are a believer in conspiracy theories and are aware of the late Steve Jobs intense dislike for Android phones, you can’t help but smile at the news of this acquisition. It is extremely possible that Apple could end up buying Nuance at some point. If that happens, not only would Apple own outright its SIRI speech recognition system application, but it would also own one of the major speech recognition software for the Android phone. Now Vlingo isn’t the only game in town when it comes to Android speech recognition, but it is one of the better ones out there. And if Apple buys Nuance as some are speculating, Android phones are certain to lose one of its biggest players in the speech recognition arena. All I’m saying is that with the acquisition of Vlingo by Nuance, 2012 is certainly going to be an interesting year for speech recognition on the Android phones.
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