NUAN Nuance Communications Inc

Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) and Banma, a joint venture of SAIC Motor Corp., one of China’s leading car manufacturers, and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., China’s e-commerce giant, today announced that they have partnered to bring Nuance’s conversational AI-powered speech recognition to Banma MARS V3.0, the company’s latest infotainment platform for connected cars.

Banma MARS V3.0 leverages Nuance’s automotive platform to offer new, high-quality voice recognition capabilities that are key to the driver and passenger experience: support for multiple, simultaneous requests; voice-powered control of in-car functions like navigation, air conditioning, lighting and music; and embedded access to and arbitration between several ecosystem services. With a hybrid approach, Nuance’s platform combines embedded and cloud-based content and services to provide Banma MARS V3.0 with fast, seamless performance, with key in-car functions still available in areas of low connectivity and over-the-air update available for ongoing improvement to the system.

“Banma MARS V3.0 represents the latest step in our efforts to make the internet-connected car the standard across China,” said Hao Fei, CEO of Banma Technologies. “A seamless user experience is at the forefront of this goal, which is why the deeply collaborative process we have embarked upon with Nuance is so important. Together, we can design an in-car voice-user interface experience that is unparalleled, and Banma MARS V3.0 is just the beginning.”

“We’re excited about our growing relationship with Banma and our growth together to bring a unique user experience to drivers in China,” said Stefan Ortmanns, executive vice president and general manager, Nuance Automotive. “Banma MARS V3.0 marks not just deep cooperation on a voice-powered interface for the car, but a mutual commitment to together building the future of the in-car assistant, with enhanced performance and new features and content that differentiate these cars from the competition.”

Banma MARS V3.0 will first be pushed to SAIC’s Roewe Marvel RX5 and new Ford Kuga, available now. For more information, visit http://www.ebanma.com/en/index.html.

Nuance Automotive powers more than 250 million cars on the road today across more than 40 languages, creating conversational, intelligent mobility experiences for nearly every major automaker in the world, including BMW, Audi, Daimler, Fiat, Ford, GM, Hyundai, SAIC, Toyota, and 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 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.

About BanmaBanma, founded in 2015, is the world's leading Internet vehicle platform. Up to now, Banma system has been carried and used by many automobile brands such as Roewe, MG, MAXUS, Citroen, Ford, Qoros, Baojun, Skoda, etc. More than 700,000 Internet cars are on the road, and more than 100 travel ecological partners.

The Banma's record includes the world's largest OTA air vehicle upgrade, the first application of AR augmented reality assisted driving in mass production vehicles, and the first online car operation activity "Hello Banma" carnival month. In September 2018, the Banma completed its first round of financing of more than $1.6 billion.

Contact Information

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

Erica ChengGedy Communications for Nuance Communications, Inc. Tel: +86 10 51280868 #1008Email: erica@gedyinc.com

Hansen LeeAlibaba, Inc.Tel: 86-18520806014Email: hansen.lhs@alibaba-inc.com