Nuance Automotive Named Honoree in Fast Company’s 2019 Innovation by Design Awards

Nuance’s automotive platform joins projects, products and services from Nike, Microsoft, Mastercard, Gensler, and others to be honored


BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN), a leading provider of conversational AI, today announced that its Automotive business and platform were honored by Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards for 2019 in the user experience category. Nuance’s automotive and mobility assistant platform was recognized for leveraging a myriad of insights to provide a personalized, human-like user experience that keeps drivers and passengers entertained, productive, connected, and safe.

Nuance previously announced its intent to spin off its Automotive business as a separate, publicly-traded company on October 1, 2019. Upon spinning off from Nuance, Cerence Inc. will become an independent, next-generation automotive software company.

Innovation by Design is the only competition to honor creative work at the intersection of design, business, and innovation. The awards, which can be found in the October 2019 issue of Fast Company, recognize people, teams, and companies solving problems through design. This year, Fast Company is recognizing an influential and diverse group of leaders in fashion, architecture, graphic design, data visualization, social good, user experience, mobility, and more.

“As connectivity in the car becomes ubiquitous in the automotive industry, it’s imperative to provide drivers with a seamless, safe, and reliable user experience,” said Sanjay Dhawan, future CEO of Cerence, Nuance’s upcoming automotive spin-off. “We pride ourselves in building the world’s premier multi-sensorial, cognitive mobility assistant, and this recognition from Fast Company solidifies our position as a leader in the field.”

The experience enabled by Nuance’s automotive platform is a foundation for the digital car, removing the need for the myriad buttons and giving way to a humanized, multi-sensorial user experience powered by simultaneous voice, sight, gesture and emotion interaction.  Notable features that earned Nuance Automotive this honor include:

  • POI interaction enhanced by augmented reality – Eye tracking, combined with voice recognition, allows for interaction with points of interest outside the car, permitting the driver to get information on hours, ratings, etc.
  • Advanced button-free car – Drivers can intuitively interact with widgets on this smart windshield with voice recognition and eye tracking to access and refine services and information – phone and contacts, weather, navigation, music – that would traditionally be shown on the console display.
  • Enhanced context capabilities and collaborative dialogue – Drivers can converse with the mobility assistant just like they would a human, referencing prior parts of the conversation, asking follow-up questions and giving follow-up commands (“open that window half way,” followed by, “a little bit more”) – all without the need for a wake-up word.
  • Emotion and cognitive state analysis – With the help of emotion AI and interior cameras, Nuance’s automotive platform analyzes facial expressions and tone of voice to understand drivers’ and passengers’ complex emotions and cognitive states such as drowsiness and distraction.

“For decades, designers have facilitated overconsumption,” says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “Now, the most ambitious in the field are addressing the grave problems consumption has wrought.”

This year’s applicant pool was the most competitive ever, with more than 4,300 entries. Winners, finalists, and honorable mentions are featured online and in the October issue of Fast Company magazine, on newsstands September 17. Winners will also be recognized at a special celebration at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival in November. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/ibd.

Nuance Automotive, which is expected to spin off from Nuance on October 1, 2019 and become independent, publicly-traded Cerence Inc., delivers immersive experiences that make people feel happier, safer, more informed, and more entertained in their cars. Bringing together voice, touch, gesture, emotion, and gaze innovations, it creates deeper connections between drivers, their cars and the digital world around them. It currently powers A.I. in more than 280 million cars on the road globally across more than 40 languages and for nearly every major automaker in the world, including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, Geely, GM, SAIC, Toyota, and many more.

To learn more about the ways in which Nuance Automotive is amplifying the intelligence of the connected car, visit nuance.com and stay connected on LinkedIn.

About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies and thinkers on the future of business. Since 2011, Fast Company has received some of the most prestigious editorial and design accolades, including the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) National Magazine Award for "Magazine Of The Year," Adweek's Hot List for "Hottest Business Publication," and six gold medals and 10 silver medals from the Society of Publication Designers. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta and the publisher is Amanda Smith. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.

About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is the pioneer and leader in conversational AI innovations that bring intelligence to everyday work and life. The company delivers solutions that understand, analyze and respond to human language to increase productivity and amplify human intelligence. With decades of domain and artificial intelligence expertise, Nuance works with thousands of organizations – in global industries that include healthcare, telecommunications, automotive, financial services, and retail – to create stronger relationships and better experiences for their customers and workforce. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

Trademark reference: Nuance and the Nuance logo are registered trademarks or 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.

Contact Information

Kate Hickman
Nuance Communications, Inc.
Tel: 781-565-4627
Email: kathryn.hickman@nuance.com

Cait Buckley
Matter Communications for Nuance Automotive
Tel: 617-874-5214
Email: cbuckley@matternow.com