Nuance and Elan Join Forces to Provide Advanced Text-to-Speech Applications Internationally.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MENLO PARK, Calif. & TOULOUSE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 30, 2002

Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN), the global leader in software for a voice-driven world, and Elan, a leading text-to-speech provider, today announced the signing of an agreement extending both companies' capabilities in the text-to-speech (TTS) software market. As part of the agreement, Elan will make its Speech CUBE(TM) software with its extensive language support fully compatible with the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework(TM). In addition, Nuance will jointly market and promote Speech CUBE.

"We are very excited that our relationship with Nuance will enable us to leverage the value of text-to-speech technology, combined with speech recognition, in mass market telephony services," said Etienne Lamort de Gail, director of marketing for Elan. "We look forward to deployments across a range of industries including telecommunications, banking and automotive."

The Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework consists of software that enables the integration of several best-of-breed TTS engines -- from Nuance, AT&T Labs, Rhetorical Systems and now Elan -- with Nuance's patented distributed architecture. This framework makes TTS engines across a wide range of languages compatible with Nuance 8.0 speech recognition and Nuance Verifier 3.0 voice authentication software, providing the most robust, accurate, scalable and complete speech offering in the industry.

"By using the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework, customers and partners can choose from the widest range of TTS engines, meeting requirements that no single vendor can support today," said Ron Croen, president and CEO of Nuance. "We're pleased to add Elan to the growing list of companies who have made their TTS engines fully compatible with the Nuance offering."

Elan TTS technology enables the development of voice-enabled services for access over the phone such as e-mail reading, unified messaging services, automated directory assistance, self-service banking and car navigation. Speech CUBE is available in a range of languages including UK English, French, German, Castillian Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, supporting 18 male and female voices. Speech CUBE is available on Windows NT, 2000 and XP; Solaris 7&8/Sparc; and Linux/x86 platforms. Speech CUBE provides a high-density solution allowing large-scale deployment with reduced cost of ownership.

About Nuance

Nuance's speech recognition, voice authentication and text-to-speech software is changing the way companies interact with customers over the phone. In markets around the world, leading carriers and corporations -- including British Airways, Nomura Securities, OnStar, Sprint PCS, United Parcel Service, Vodafone, and many more -- use Nuance's software to reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction and retention, create new sources of revenue and improve security. Nuance's software powers a range of innovative applications including automated directory assistance, voice-activated dialing, self-service banking and voice-driven customer relationship management. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. and has offices around the world. For more information, visit www.nuance.com or call 1-888-NUANCE-8.

About Elan

Elan is a worldwide provider of text-to-speech technology. Whatever the Text-to-Speech (TTS) requirements are, from any server to any terminal, in distributed, embedded or 100 percent server-based architecture, Elan technology handles any density and is adaptable to all configurations of memory and computing power.

Elan TTS technology allows to develop voice-enabled services such as e-mail reading over the phone, unified messaging services, talking web, screen reader, interactive games, car navigation aids and traffic information etc.

Ten languages and 18 voices are already available -- American English, British English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Latin American Spanish -- and new ones are under development.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, for example, those relating to the potential adoption of the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework; the interoperability of the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework with Nuance's other software and/or the software of third parties, and the benefits thereof; cost-savings and other benefits derived from a customer's use of the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework; Nuance's becoming a leader in the text-to-speech marketplace; Elan Informatique's enhancement of its Speech CUBE software; Elan Informatique's modification of its Speech CUBE TTS engine to make it fully compatible with the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework; as well as the general market opportunity for the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework and text-to-speech software. There is no assurance that the results contemplated by any forward-looking statements will be realized. The following factors, risks and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or implied in this press release's forward-looking statements: the risk that Nuance customers will not adopt the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework for commercial or other use; the risk that Nuance is unable to successfully interoperate the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework with Nuance's other software and/or software from third parties; the risk that Nuance's customers or Elan Informatique's will be unable to develop or commercialize successfully products or services that use Nuance's products; the risk that Elan Informatique will not be able or otherwise fail to make its Speech CUBE TTS engine fully compatible with the Nuance Vocalizer Integration Framework; the risk that products and services based upon Nuance's products are not commercially accepted by consumers; the risk that the market for text-to-speech software will not materialize as suggested; and other factors described in Nuance's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Nuance's last-filed prospectus and quarterly report. Nuance does not undertake to update any oral or written forward-looking statements that may be made by or on behalf of Nuance.

Note to Editors: Nuance is a registered trademark of Nuance Communications, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.