Nuance, the voice recognition behemoth, has announced that it will purchase voice-assistant app creator Vlingo for an unspecified amount — Vlingo makes a voice recognition app similar to Apple's Siri, and it runs on a variety of platforms including Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS, and others. With the acquisition, Nuance says it aims to create natural language interfaces for a variety of devices, including tablets, cars, televisions, navigation devices, music players, and PCs — and since Siri already uses Nuance's technology, the company stands to make money nearly everywhere voice recognition is used.
This acquisition is not the first time these companies have met — Nuance has repeatedly sued Vlingo for patent infringement in the past, and attempted to buy the company in the midst of a costly legal tangle back in 2009. It's the second major acquisition for Nuance this year, after the company acquired Swype for $100 million back in October. We'll have to wait and see what actually comes to market as a result of the buyout, but in the least, Nuance will be able to save on some legal fees.