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The International Voice Association (IVA) have announced that the Digital Speech Standard audio format, is now fully supported in Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software without prior conversion to another voice file format.

PRESS INFORMATION - International Digital Speech Standard Format for Voice Recording Now Supported in Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking

London, 17 October 2011 – The International Voice Association (IVA) today announced that the Digital Speech Standard audio format, an international digital voice recording standard jointly developed by Grundig, Olympus and Philips, is now fully supported in Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software. Voice files recorded in the Digital Speech Standard format (.dss) or Digital Speech Standard Pro format (.ds2) can now be transcribed directly by Dragon (editions Premium and higher) without prior conversion to another voice file format.

“The .dss format is the standard in Professional Dictation and Voice Processing. The direct support for .dss and .ds2 in Dragon NaturallySpeaking streamlines the speech-to-text process by eliminating the need to first convert .dss or .ds2 files before transcription by Dragon. Professionals around the world will benefit from the high quality of the .dss and .ds2 formats which are now inherently supported within Dragon,” say IVA board members in a statement.

“With every new version of Dragon, we not only aim to improve its recognition accuracy and performance, but we also strive to deliver flexibility, enabling Dragon to work the way that our customers work,” said Peter Mahoney, senior vice president and general manager, Dragon, Nuance. “This means providing support, compatibility and ease of use with the widest array of quality formats, platforms and devices. We’re pleased to 1 be able to support the .dss and .ds2 formats, particularly for our professional Dragon customers who use digital voice recorders as part of their regular workflow.”

Why DSS? This Digital Speech Standard answers the need for high-quality, professional dictation and speech solutions for the modern digital information society. Offering outstanding audio quality for recorded voice, .dss files allow a high compression rate, reduced file size, network traffic and required storage capacity. The format also allows additional information, such as client/patient name and document type to be stored in the file header, further facilitating file organization. The DSS Pro (.ds2) format is a further development to the .dss format that supports file encryption to protect confidential dictation data. Special compression technology continues to facilitate recording in the form of small files, which is essential for sending dictations via email when on the move or transferring data over networks as well as archiving.

The DSS format is maintained as a manufacturer-independent and international standard for professional speech processing by the International Voice Association (IVA). The IVA was founded by Grundig, Olympus and Philips to ensure that all specifications are defined according to the voice recording standard. Only this guarantees the user a secure investment in terms of the procurement, use and future compatibility of digital dictation systems and speech recognition systems.

About Nuance Communications, Inc

Nuance Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

For questions or additional information, please contact: Erica Hill Phone: 781-565-5000 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

About Olympus

Olympus is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering award- winning products for consumer and professional markets worldwide. In 1969, Olympus introduced the world’s first analogue microcassette recorder. Since then, Olympus has been the market leader in the professional dictation and audio recording market. The track record of professional audio products under the Olympus brand, which is synonymous with quality and simplicity, is unmatched in the industry. Olympus Professional Dictation System lines include the world’s most popular professional digital voice recorder, the DS-5000, the Directrec series of USB dictation microphones, the AS series of transcription solutions, and other specialty products. These provide very cost effective and reliable dictation and transcription solutions for professionals and businesses in any market. For more information, visit: http://www.olympus.co.uk/voice/ 

For questions or additional information, please contact: Georgina Pavelin Marketing Product Specialist Tel.: 01702 616333 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Web: www.olympus.co.uk

About Philips Speech Processing

For more than 50 years, Philips Speech Processing has been the driving force in delivering dictation and speech technologies to users around the world. With its headquarters and production center located in Vienna, Austria, Philips Speech Processing is the world leader in professional digital and analogue dictation solutions. From office-based desktop dictation to mobile dictation, from conference recording to entire workflow solutions with the SpeechExec software family, our products support every imaginable scenario. Revolutionary digital dictation products, such as the SpeechMike, the Digital Pocket Memo with Voice Commands, and the Barcode Module are helping professionals to work more efficiently every day, in the easiest possible manner, entirely in keeping with Philips "sense and simplicity" philosophy. For more information, visit: www.philips.com/dictation.

For questions or additional information, please contact: Michaela Kraft Phone: +1 905 201 4202 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

About Grundig Business Systems GmbH

With more than four million dictation systems sold and over 50 years of experience, Grundig Business Systems GmbH (GBS) is one of the leading manufacturers of professional dictation systems. It is the only company in 4 the professional dictation industry to develop and produce its cutting-edge products "Made in Germany". GBS products are distinguished by technical innovation, quality, and top-notch design. Whether for doing mobile dictation on the go, with a microphone at the PC, or for making conference recordings, dictation solutions from GBS are on the scene every day, helping attorneys, physicians, companies, and many others to get their work done efficiently and cost-effectively. The independent company, formerly attached to the parent company Grundig, was named one of the top 100 most innovative medium-sized companies. Find out more about GBS on the internet: www.grundig-gbs.com

For questions or additional information, please contact: Nadine Kiewitt Phone: +49 921 898 222 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Download the Olympus press release here