Reseller News Join Reseller News Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.Sign up now Inside Microsoft's acquisition of Nuance: A new push for voice tech? Redmond's decision to buy Nuance for $19.7 billion highlights how important voice-activated tech is already in healthcare and how ubiquitous it might become elsewhere Credit: Microsoft Microsoft's decision to acquire speech-recognition firmNuance Communications for US$19.7 billion, the vendor's biggest purchase since forking out $26 billion for LinkedIn, could provide a real boost for voice technology, analysts said. “There are lots of companies, and start-ups, doing voice recognition, but Nuance has been a leader in this area for years," said Blair Pleasant, president and principal analyst for COMMfusion." It has the technology, partnerships, customers, and expertise needed to further succeed and grow."