News Release from Nuance - NDEV

Nuance's NDEV Mobile Developer Program Now Includes over 8,000 Developers around the World

Dragon Mobile SDK Voice-Enables Array of iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7 Apps Across Europe, Including Castorama, Prolog and Mail.ru

BURLINGTON, Mass. and BARCELONA (Mobile World Congress) -- February 28, 2012 -- Nuance Communications, Inc. today announced that its NDEV Mobile developer program has signed over 8,000 developers worldwide since its launch in January 2011. NDEV Mobile lets developers quickly and easily integrate Nuance’s proven cloud-based voice technology via the Dragon Mobile SDK into virtually any application for Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7, with tiered programs that meet the unique demands of all developers big and small.

Voice has proven to be an incredibly intuitive and easy way to dictate text and search the mobile web for content and information. With the Dragon Mobile SDK, developers across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia can quickly transform virtually any app into one that is voice-enabled with the power of Dragon. Recent European additions to the NDEV Mobile community include:

Castorama: The French Castorama App takes advantage of Dragon’s renowned voice recognition capabilities to let users search Castorama’s online catalogue anytime and anywhere, just by speaking the product or product name of their choice. With Castorama’s new unique voice input feature, consumers are able to get even more out of their mobile shopping experience.

Mail.ru: The Mail.ru app for iPhone and iPad is the first voice-enabled Russian search app for iOS. More than 75 million subscribers of this popular Russian free email provider can enter search criteria by voice, and easily access email content on the go.

Dictus: The Dictus app from the Danish Prolog lets smartphone and tablet users dictate their SMS text and emails in Danish, bringing the experience of the recently launched Dragon Dictation app to Android users in Denmark and many other regions. Prolog has also integrated Nuance’s text-to-speech technology, allowing people to listen to their message before sending or posting the message.

“With over 8,000 developers participating, NDEV Mobile clearly demonstrates how voice is differentiating and creating an entirely new mobile app experience,” said Matt Revis, vice president, handset business, Nuance Mobile. “Consumers demand apps that are more personal, convenient and fun to use. And because NDEV Mobile supports over 20 languages for speech-to-text and more than 30 for text-to-speech, developers all over the world are able to bring their voice-enabled apps to market quickly and easily across iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7.”

The Dragon Mobile SDK powers the voice recognition and text-to-speech capabilities of some of the most popular apps on the market, including Price Check by Amazon, Ask for iPhone, Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Shopping List from Recipes.com, Kraft iFood Assistant, SpeechTrans, AirYell and Yellow Pages by Avantar, OnStar RemoteLink, Vocre, Bon’App, and more.

The Dragon Mobile SDK is available for iOS 4.0 and 5.0 (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch), Android 2.1 and higher, Windows Phone 7.1, and via an HTTP web services interface.

Dragon has long been a leading speech recognition application on the desktop, used by millions of people around the world. Nuance has launched an array of Dragon applications across a variety of mobile platforms including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, and more.

To learn more about developing with Nuance’s voice technology, visit our NDEV Mobile developer program page. To learn more about the Dragon Mobile Apps family, visit www.NuanceMobileLife.com.

Increased Efficiency with Windows 7-Based Tablets

News release from Microsoft:

News Press Release
Ben E. Keith Increases Efficiency With Rollout of Windows 7-Based Tablets

World’s second-largest wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch reduces the time it takes to complete store inventory by 50 percent with Windows 7-based MobileDemand xTablet T7000.

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REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 14, 2012 — Ben E. Keith Co. has completed a successful rollout of more than 280 MobileDemand xTablet T7000 devices equipped with Windows 7. When the wholesaler implemented new Anheuser-Busch Mobility software, it also used the opportunity to upgrade its field devices to increase efficiency, accuracy and functionality for sales representatives who distribute 38 million cases of beer annually. “We needed just the right piece of equipment to meet the demands required of our sales representatives,” said Steve Fleming, vice president of Administration and Information for Ben E. Keith. “We decided to look for devices that offered the durability and functionality to let our reps hit the streets hard every day and sell with maximum efficiency.” Before the upgrade, Ben E. Keith reps used pocket-sized units that allowed them to take orders and send them to the warehouse. However, as the business grew and changed, the company recognized the necessity of improving the devices used in the field. Always a leader in implementing new technologies to help reps do their jobs, Ben E. Keith decided to replace the outdated handheld units. As Ben E. Keith began looking at more modern devices, such as tablet PCs, it quickly became clear what was important. Competing products lacked the integrated scanner and built-in numeric keypad that sales reps were looking for. In addition, consumer-focused tablets were not durable enough for the daily demands of beer distribution. The best device for durability, functionality and familiarity was the Windows 7-based xTablet T7000. With the new units, reps are able to work with a familiar Windows 7 user interface. The large screens enable quicker product lookups and allow reps to show new promotions or the latest TV commercial. The full Windows 7 operating system gives reps access to business applications, such as Internet, email, Microsoft Excel 2010, videos and presentations. Reps can also use tools for merchandising, shelf space or profit calculators. High-capacity batteries power the devices all day without being plugged in or recharged. “Having Windows 7 made it easy to use the tablets and make updates. And our reps were already familiar with the operating system, which made implementation and training seamless,” Fleming said. As a result of the implementation, sales reps have seen a significant reduction in the time it takes to complete store inventory. The new Windows 7 devices have improved pre-sales processes and sales rep productivity, and they have led to better customer service. They have also reduced errors and provided more uptime due to reduced device malfunctions — resulting in lower total cost of ownership. More information on Windows 7 Enterprise is available athttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/default.aspx. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed athttp://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.