Domino's introduces function on its mobile app that lets customers place orders by speaking with a computer-generated voice named 'Dom'; mobile and online ordering accounts for 40% of Domino's US sales

Nevin Barich

ANN ARBOR, Michigan , June 16, 2014 (press release) – Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, continues to advance technology. In conjunction with Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN), Domino's is launching voice ordering for its iPhone and Android apps.

"There will be a day when typing on keyboards or with thumbs on mobile devices will come to a close; we want to be the ones who continue to advance the technology experience – hand-in-hand with our customers," said Patrick Doyle, Domino's Pizza president and CEO. "Our mobile app users who are a part of this launch are truly helping set the foundation for the innovations of today, that will soon enough become the standards of tomorrow."

The platform, in partnership with Nuance, will redefine technology convenience – and puts Domino's at the forefront of an intuitive ordering method that is a true first within both traditional and e-commerce retail.

Domino's new voice ordering platform is powered by Nuance's Nina Mobile, an intelligent virtual assistant that leverages speech recognition, speech synthesis and natural language understanding technologies. Together, the platform delivers a human-like, conversational customer service experience that allows users to speak an order and quickly add items to their cart. The platform launches today in beta format, which will allow for additional enhancements as customers become familiar with the new ordering feature.

"Whether ordering pizzas, booking a flight or transferring money into a bank account – convenience is what translates to increased sales and customer satisfaction," said Robert Weideman, Nuance executive vice president and general manager, enterprise division. "Our Nina platform is enabling organizations like Domino's to do just that, and we are very proud to be a part of offering this convenience to their growing number of mobile app users."

The Domino's ordering apps for iPhone and Android, which have been downloaded more than 10 million times, are both available for free from the App Store on iPhone (www.itunes.com/appstore) or the Google Play store on Android devices. Existing iPhone and Android app users will need the latest update to be able to utilize the voice ordering feature.

About Domino's Pizza®

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, with a significant business in carryout pizza. It ranks among the world's top public restaurant brands with its global enterprise of more than 10,900 stores in over 70 international markets. Domino's had global retail sales of over $8.0 billion in 2013, comprised of nearly $3.8 billion in the U.S. and over $4.2 billion internationally. In the first quarter of 2014, Domino's had global retail sales of over $2.0 billion, comprised of $0.9 billion in the U.S. and $1.1 billion internationally. Its system is made up of franchise owner-operators who accounted for over 96% of the Domino's Pizza stores as of the first quarter of 2014. The emphasis on technology innovation helped Domino's generate approximately 40% of sales in the U.S. from its digital channels in 2013, as well as reach an estimated $3 billion annually in global digital sales. Domino's recently launched its ordering app for iPad®, adding to an existing ordering app lineup that covers nearly 95% of the U.S. smartphone market. Continuing its focus on menu enhancement, Domino's launched Specialty Chicken in April 2014.

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