To help investors sort out the risks and opportunities facing Nuance Communications (NUAN +0.00%) , we've created a new premium report on the company. Below is an excerpt from the report, which breaks out some of the areas Nuance investors should keep an eye on. We hope you enjoy this sample.
The five areas you MUST watch
- Voice interactions in mobile devices: While Apple's Siri has received a lukewarm reception among consumers, being more of a novelty than the revolutionary assistant it was originally billed as, it has sparked interest in voice interactions in mobile devices. Siri's shortcomings stem from the application software layer and not the underlying speech engine (unless a connection isn't available). The technology will continue to improve now that consumers demand it, which will benefit Nuance.
- Android OEMs: Since Android has voice-technology built in, investors need to keep an eye on whether OEM customers ditch Nuance for Android's integrated capabilities, something that has not happened meaningfully yet but could in the future. Android is potentially Nuance's biggest threat in mobile, since Apple appears content to license Nuance's engine instead of developing one in-house.
- Automotive design wins: Voice interfaces in vehicles are an important part of improving safety on the roads, especially in the age of constant connectivity, distractions, and texting. Most, but not all, car manufacturers currently tap Nuance. For example, Honda uses IBM's speech technology.
- Smart TVs: The next consumer space that voice-recognition is set to infiltrate is smart TVs. Nuance powers Samsung's smart TVs and also offers Dragon TV. In all likelihood, Apple's rumored Apple TV will feature voice interactions powered by Nuance. Google and Microsoft are also making big pushes into the living room, but both develop speech technology in-house.
- Electronic health care records: Nuance has taken note of an increased interest in using mobile devices to access electronic health care records, and is expanding its product lineup accordingly to capture growth. Transitioning to electronic health care records is a daunting undertaking, but is being pushed along slowly but surely.
