I am not a fan of voice control services. I hate IVR and wrote about failed voice services for mobile back in 2002 (see chart).  However, I am aware that Nuance has huge aspiration in the mobile space and wants to corner the voice to text, voice search space.

Unsuccessful Voice Offers Launched from 2000 - 2002

Directory and click to call services are already huge in the US and fuelling the demand for, uptake of and interest in voice search.  But searching with voice is not as easy as it sounds: background noise is its biggest issue, followed by privacy and ease of use, which is often plagued by messy user interfaces and control.
 
Recently I interviewed a victim of the 2000 – 2002 decline and fall of voice/speech recognition services for mobile and I’ve spoken to LogicaCMG on several occasions: while it boasts about voice platforms, at least is realistic enough to admit that it’s still very early days.
 
Nuance has a different game plan. It is bullish about its voice/speech recognition services and its new instant click, voice search technology is supposed to be the master and commander of mobile.   
 
Certainly the acquisition of MobileVoiceControl should further its ambitions in the mobile space,  but Nuance is already facing some very stiff competition. From Microsoft, for instance. The PDA functionality on MSN PDA devices such as the XDA or MDA is exceptional and the user interfae very simple. You say, “Find Peter now” and it repeats, “Find Peter now” – and then dials Peter.
 
This is fine if you’re in the car or somewhere quiet. Not a classy, peaceful pub in Maidenhead. I blushed with acute humiliation as the speakers blasted out, “Find Peter now” and all the older men in the bar glared at me. The second time I tried it in the rather more boisterous Middlesex Arms.  There I spoke the command, but couldn’t hear the response and didn’t know if the call had been made or not.
 
Despite all this, voice services, voice search and mobile voice recognition is staging a comeback. Most people in the industry believe that lessons have been learned and a new era is upon us.  
 
Even JumpTap and other white label mobile search companies have added voice to their portfolio. At the moment, too many outside influences disrupt pure voice search services. Even with embedded software on devices and search control services made for mobile, error, frustration and in the worst cases, user dissatisfaction, for the moment remain common characteristics.