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Tag: nuance

  • Microsoft could announce purchase of key Siri supplier as soon as tomorrow

    Microsoft could announce purchase of key Siri supplier as soon as tomorrow

    Microsoft is in “advanced” talks to purchase speech technology and AI company Nuance for a price reported as “about $16 billion.” The deal could be announced as soon as Monday although Bloomberg News says that the discussions are continuing and a deal could still fall apart. Nuance’s voice technology helped Apple launch its Siri voice assistant on the iPhone 4s in 2011 and later that year Nuance acquired QWERTY swiping app Swype.

    The price as currently rumored works out to about $56 for each Nuance share. The company’s stock closed Friday at $45.64 in after-hours trading and at $56 the deal would represent a premium of 22.7%. If done at $16 billion, a purchase of Nuance would be Microsoft’s second-largest deal of all time after the software giant’s $27 billion acquisition of networking app LinkedIn in 2016.

    Nuance software including the Dragon line of speech recognition software is used in a variety of industries from automotive to health care and is used to transcribe voice mails, Doctor’s visits, and customer service calls. For the fourth quarter, the company earned $7 million on revenue of $346 million. For the fiscal year ended last September, Nuance had a net income of $91 million on revenue of $1.48 billion after losing $2.17 billion over the previous fiscal year.

    Anurag Rana, a Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst, said, “This can really help Microsoft accelerate the digitization of the health-care industry, which has lagged other sectors such as retail and banking. The biggest near-term benefit that I can see is in the area of telehealth, where Nuance transcription product is currently being used with Microsoft Teams.”

    s far as Siri’s connection with Nuance is concerned, the latter provided Apple’s digital assistant with its speech recognition engine. Microsoft recently dropped the iOS and Android apps for Cortana, its digital assistant, and Siri rival. Not enough iOS and Android users were using the Cortana app for Microsoft to keep it active.

    Nuance helped provide Siri with the technology needed for the assistant to hear tasks requested by users and understand what was being asked. It is unclear what the current relationship is between Apple and Nuance.

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  • Nuance wins 13 awards for ‘green’ HKIA stores

    Nuance wins 13 awards for ‘green’ HKIA stores

    Thirteen Nuance Group (HK) stores have been recognised for their environmental performance and commitment out of a total 23 at Hong Kong International Airport’s Environmental Management Recognition Scheme 2014/15.

    Essentially, the Airport Authority Hong Kong-backed scheme is aimed at encouraging retailers to adopt green initiatives and take active responsibilities for the environmental management of their stores. The scheme is co-organised by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), which conducts on-site assessments of retail F&B premises at HKIA.

    Nuance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Basel-based Dufry AG and the 13 stores which were recognised for their efforts this year include the following: (Silver awards) Sound & Vision store reference numbers 6E102, 6E150 and 6W520; Bally 6E125; Longchamp 6W544.

    Bronze awards went to the following Nuance stores: Taste & Delights 6W572; Amazing Grace 7E192; Bags Unlimited 5P084; Best of…Stores      5P103; Fortress 7T096 & 7T097; Fortress 5P028A; Scent & Beauty 5P065; and The Peninsula Boutique 7T040.

    Commenting on the initiative, Alessandra Piovesana, Regional Managing Director of Nuance Asia and Regional COO (ad int) Asia & Middle East of Dufry Group said: “My team and I are delighted for our 13 winning stores at the latest HKIA Environmental Management Recognition Scheme, underlining our widespread corporate commitment in environmental conservation and protection across all our stores as part of our mission of ‘Enriching Travel, Enriching Life’.

    “We believe that environmental management succeeds only through continuous engagements and stewardship with a consistent attitude acted on a united front. Since we took a lead in this area to kick off our first corporate green initiative ‘Save & Preserve’ to reduce the use of plastic bags as early as in 2007, we have continuously nurtured our staff to take ‘green’ as an everyday approach, making ‘green’ practices part of their daily working lives.

    “Every year, we organize different activities to optimize ‘green’ awareness among travellers at HKIA. Our on-going environmental management programmes reflect our passion for life and our will to demonstrate that performing business and environmental actions can surely co-exist. With our concerted efforts with the Airport Authority and other stakeholders, our team is determined to leverage our presence within the airport to continue raising travellers’ consciousness of the need for a sustainable future.”

    ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES TAKEN BY NUANCE

    The retailer adds that its continuous efforts at environmentally sensible stewardship and customer engagement include the following: minimizing the environmental impact of shopping bags by choosing certified biodegradable materials and by administrative measures; having agreements with suppliers or service providers to reuse containers or materials in goods delivery; installing energy efficient lighting; regularly maintaining air-conditioning systems; establishing ; Green Procurement Policy; using of state-of-the-art sustainable technologies, such as paperless PO system, use of Radio Data Transfer for stock logistics, Electronic Business Process Management and Digital Filing, etc.

    Most importantly, Nuance management says it provides regular training in environmental management to its employees.

    THE SIX KEY CRITERIA USED FOR JUDGING

    The judging criteria for the HKIA Environmental Management Recognition Scheme was based on six aspects, i.e. waste management, energy efficiency, waste water management, air pollution control, noise pollution control and overall environmental management.

    The judging panel consisted of representatives from the Airport Authority Hong Kong, Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong Waste Management Association, Friends of the Earth (HK) and Academia (Professor C.S. Poon of HK Polytechnic University).

    Nuance adds that in 2012 it received five Gold Awards in the first-ever HKIA Environmental Responsible Retail Recognition Scheme held by AAHK. The retailer also received a Green Management Bronze Award from the Green Council Hong Kong in 2011.

  • Nuance India unveils new duty-free idea

    Nuance India unveils new duty-free idea

    Travellers flying out of Kempegowda Worldwide Airport in Bengaluru, India might be handled to a stroll of nostalgia and wealthy South Indian custom in Nuance’s new Obligation Free Retailer on the departure lounge.

    Nuance India has opened a 900 sqm purchasing expertise which it says – aside from providing the perfect worldwide merchandise and the perfect costs – will showcase Bengaluru’s opulent heritage and tradition.

    “We consider journey is all about new experiences and airports are a touch-point for the travellers to work together with the area,” stated G V Sanjay Reddy, MD of Bengaluru Worldwide Airport.

    “Our try is to make it possible for each business area on the airport supplies a way of place and embodies the native tradition, heritage and aesthetics. The Nuance group has carried out justice to our imaginative and prescient and developed the brand new Obligation Free expertise to fulfil a memorable buying expertise to our passengers.”

    Anirban Dutta Chowdhury, nation head of Nuance India, stated the brand new purchasing expertise “represents the town and showcases an eclectic mix of conventional values coupled with world class design.”

    That design consists of unique Chettinnad pillars from Kalaikudi, kolam-inspired patterns and jhumka-influenced lighting.

    “Our purpose was to make a retailer based mostly on our international Obligation Free Retailer idea, that might be anyplace on the planet, however is proud to be at KIAB and we really feel we now have been capable of ship that to the discerning Bengaluru traveller.

    “The brand new retailer will supply a world boutique-style atmosphere, with a mix of know-how together with an intimate and welcoming environment, which can elevate the buying expertise of the travellers to the subsequent degree.”

    The shop shares perfumes, cosmetics, liquors, confectionaries, electronics and extra and can later introduce trend and equipment.

    “The target is just not solely to offer a singular and unique buying expertise but in addition to supply unmatched offers. Bengaluru Obligation Free has launched a Merely Cheaper Pricing Technique, with assured financial savings in comparison with different regional worldwide airports,” Chowdhury stated.

    Your complete product vary can also be obtainable on-line. Passengers can merely e-book on the firm’swebsite and gather their purchases from the airport retailer.

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