Actually, Ivona produces text to speech products, not speech
recognition, so the article was slightly incorrect.
Original message:
Amazon buys speech-recognition company Ivona
By Alistair Barr
SAN FRANCISCO | Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:36am EST
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By Alistair Barr
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Thursday that it
acquired speech-recognition company Ivona Software, a sign the
world's largest Internet retailer may be looking to develop more
services similar to Apple Inc's Siri voice-based search product.
Amazon did not say how much it paid for Ivona and an Amazon
spokeswoman declined to comment on a purchase price.
Ivona's technology already supports several features on Amazon's
Kindle Fire tablet computers, such as "Text-to-Speech," said Dave
Limp, who oversees the Kindle business.
"We look forward to building great products to deliver
world-class voice solutions to customers around the world," Limp
said in a statement.
Apple's Siri service on its iPhone smartphones lets users ask
questions and delivers answers, suggestions or actions. Ivona's
text-to-speech technology on Amazon's Kindle Fire HD tablets
reads Kindle e-books aloud to users.
"The Ivona acquisition could provide some technology on the
Kindle to compete with Siri, although I would argue that Siri has
not been all that was expected of it so far," said Kerry Rice, an
analyst at Needham & Co.
Ivona could also help Amazon expand its e-book market to more
people with disabilities, such as the blind, Rice added.
Ivona already works with organizations supporting blind and
visually impaired people, including the Royal National Institute
of Blind People.
Amazon shares rose 3.1 percent to $276.61 in morning trading on
Thursday and hit a record $276.65 in earlier action.
(Reporting By Alistair Barr; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
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ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.)
A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind
http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
_______________________________________________
ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.)
A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind
http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
