Microsoft completes $19.7B acquisition of Nuance

$Microsoft(MSFT.US)$ has completed its acquisition of Burlington-based Nuance Communications Inc. $Nuance Communications(NUAN.US)$ a $19.7 billion mega-deal that was announced about a year ago.

The announcement of the closing, which $Microsoft(MSFT.US)$ made on Friday, comes days after the Redmond-based tech giant receivedclearance over the deal from U.K. antitrust regulators, the last major step in the merger process. The deal received U.S. regulatory approval last year.

Yunsun Wee, a spokesperson from $Microsoft(MSFT.US)$ , said in an email on Friday that there will be no change to the Nuance brand as of close, and Microsoft doesn't anticipate any near-term changes.

In late 2020, Nuance had about 7,100 full-time employees, with 45% based in the U.S., according to a federal filing.

Voice-tech company Nuance, one of the largest software-development firms in Massachusetts, is known for helping $Apple(AAPL.US)$ build its Siri virtual assistant. Incorporated in 1992 as Visioneer, it changed its name to ScanSoft in 1999 and became Nuance Communications in 2005.