Through this strategic alliance, we will help our customers improve their business efficiencies and work styles through group voice communications by utilizing Science Arts’ technologies and solutions. Ricoh Japan, a sales company of Ricoh Group in Japan, began selling Buddycom in July. Buddycom is a futuristic team communication cloud service for BtoB, developed and provided by ScienceArts. In the future, Science Arts' solutions will form part of Ricoh's range of problem-solving services for customers in a wide variety of industries and businesses. In addition, we will jointly develop and offer solutions and cloud applications for industries and operations that use voice data from the field, something that had been difficult to obtain in the past.

In the era of the ‘New Normal’, based on the ‘3Cs’ (avoidance of closed rooms, crowds, and close contact), speech-enabled solutions are helping people work in their new way of life, regardless of ‘where they work’: in the office, at home, or on the move. In addition, we will improve and save labor in various customer business processes by transforming voice into digital data and using the accumulated data to improve productivity.

Speech solutions are divided into three categories: 1) Speech, 2) Speech Recognition, and 3) Voice Information Utilization. Our goal is to develop and offer mutual development and in-depth solutions, focusing on speech as the core, to help our customers improve their productivity and increase their sales. Ricoh will continue to intensify its efforts in speech recognition and voice data utilization to provide optimized solutions for each customer. It will also offer solutions in the field of voice communication, including edge devices.

Buddycom, provided by Science Arts, is a future-oriented team communication cloud service. The system enables communication with AI-based digital assistants in addition to voice, video and location data. Get the latest features that make the most of your data in the field and work with a wide range of ecosystem partners. The Ricoh Group defines the value it delivers to customers as “EMPOWERING DIGITAL WORKPLACES”. It is working to transform itself from an OA manufacturer to a digital services company. It also helps customers improve their operational efficiency and productivity by helping to digitally transform the workplace.

By using speech recognition and other technologies to support communication among workers, we can continue to provide digital services with greater appeal to consumers, helping to reform work and work processes in a new normal.

※The names of companies, products and services referred to in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks.

The Ricoh Group is a provider of products and services/solutions that focus on imaging equipment for the office, production printing, industrial products and digital cameras in approximately 200 countries and regions around the world. (The consolidated net sales of the Ricoh Group for the fiscal year ending March 2020 will be 2.85 trillion yen). The company has been committed to advanced technology, superior customer service, and progressive commitment to a sustainable society for more than 80 years since its founding.

EMPOWERING DIGITAL WORKPLACES - Making people work smarter. Through innovation in technology and services, the Ricoh Group will work with customers to realize various workplace transformations.

Avoiding the Three Cs: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/3CS.pdf

Edge Devices: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=what+are+edge+devices+in+iot

Ricoh Global: https://www.ricoh.com/