Deepgram and IBM Introduce Advanced Voice Capabilities for Enterprise AI

Key Terms

speech-to-text technical

Speech-to-text is software that listens to spoken words and turns them into written text, like a digital transcriptionist converting a conversation into a readable document. Investors care because it enables companies to automate customer support, extract insights from earnings calls or sales calls, improve compliance and reduce labor costs—features that can boost efficiency, lower expenses, and reveal new data-driven revenue opportunities.

text-to-speech technical

Text-to-speech is software that converts written words into natural-sounding spoken audio, like a narrator reading a page aloud. For investors it matters because it can broaden a product’s audience (for example, people who prefer audio or need accessibility), reduce customer support and content production costs, and create new revenue or engagement channels—factors that can affect user growth, margins, and regulatory compliance.

real-time captioning technical

Real-time captioning is the instant conversion of spoken words into on-screen text during live audio or video events, created either by trained stenographers or automated speech software. For investors it provides a live, readable record of earnings calls, shareholder meetings and news briefings—like seeing the play-by-play of a game as it happens—improving transparency, accessibility, and accurate record-keeping for decision-making and regulatory needs.

conversational AI technical

Conversational AI is technology that allows computers to understand, process, and respond to human language in a way that feels natural and interactive, similar to chatting with a person. It enables machines to hold conversations, answer questions, and assist with tasks automatically. For investors, it matters because this technology can improve customer service, streamline operations, and create new opportunities across many industries.

voice recognition technical

Voice recognition is technology that listens to a person’s spoken words and converts them into digital text or commands, or identifies who is speaking—like a virtual assistant that writes down and reacts to what you say. Investors care because it can drive sales, reduce labor costs, and improve user engagement for products and services, while also bringing privacy and regulatory risks that can affect a company’s growth and reputation.

generative AI technical

Generative AI is a type of computer technology that can create new content, like text, images, or music, on its own. It’s important because it can produce realistic and useful material quickly, which could change how we create art, write stories, or even develop new products. Think of it as a smart robot that can invent and produce things almost like a human.

APIs technical

APIs are sets of rules that let different software systems talk to each other, like standardized doorways that let apps, data services and websites exchange information without needing to be rebuilt each time. For investors, APIs matter because they speed product development, enable digital partnerships and data feeds, create new revenue or cost savings, and introduce operational or security dependencies that can affect growth and risk.

Deepgram to be IBM’s first voice partner offering fast, reliable, and scalable transcription and speech technology

ARMONK, N.Y. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Deepgram today announced a collaboration to integrate Deepgram’s industry-leading speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities into IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate generative AI solution.

Powered by Deepgram Billboard, San Francisco, CA

To address client needs for highly performant, enterprise-grade transcription and real-time captioning, IBM will embed Deepgram’s capabilities into watsonx Orchestrate. This collaboration makes Deepgram IBM’s first voice partner, bringing voice AI technology that helps enterprises automate their operations and meet the growing demand for conversational AI technology, including advanced speech-to-text voice recognition so users can interact with digital agents using natural speech.

Many organizations are adopting AI-powered speech-to-text systems to automate transcription while handling real-world audio conditions, including background noise, diverse accents, and real-life dialog. This integration addresses these challenges by offering a wider range of languages and dialects, including dozens of Arabic and Indian variants, along with voices that reflect regional accents. It also adds options for custom tuning, real-time captioning and natural-sounding speech.

These technologies open new possibilities for enhanced automated customer care and support, call analysis, and voice-driven data entry in fields like healthcare and finance.

“Voice is rapidly becoming the default interface between humans and technology, and enterprise deployments require a real-time platform that is accurate, low latency, and reliable at scale,” said Scott Stephenson, CEO and Co-Founder, Deepgram. “By embedding Deepgram inside watsonx Orchestrate Agent Builder, IBM clients can build voice agents and voice-enabled workflows on top of a real-time foundation that has been developed and refined over more than a decade.”

“Our watsonx Orchestrate integration powered by Deepgram APIs introduces new speech recognition and transcription capabilities to IBM clients, refining and modernizing their operations,” said Nick Holda, Vice President of AI Technology Partnerships at IBM. “This collaboration aims to help enterprise organizations accelerate their AI initiatives and reinforces IBM’s open ecosystem, bringing choice and cutting-edge voice technology to partners and customers.”

Voice interfaces are quickly becoming essential for enterprise AI, and this collaboration strengthens IBM’s role in delivering modern, flexible solutions to its clients. For Deepgram, it expands access to new customers through a trusted enterprise partner and reinforces its position as a reliable, real-time voice platform built for large-scale use.

About Deepgram

Deepgram is the real-time API platform underpinning the Voice AI economy. Its Voice AI platform offers speech-to-text (STT), text-to-speech (TTS), and full speech-to-speech (STS) capabilities–all powered by its enterprise-grade runtime. 200,000+ developers build with Deepgram’s voice-native foundational models – accessed through cloud APIs or as self-hosted / on-premises APIs – due to its unmatched accuracy, low latency, and pricing. Customers include technology ISVs building voice products or platforms, co-sell partners working with large enterprises, and enterprises solving internal use cases. Having processed over 50,000 years of audio and transcribed over 1 trillion words, there is no organization in the world that understands voice better than Deepgram. To learn more, please visit www.deepgram.com, read its developer docs, or follow @DeepgramAI on X and LinkedIn.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.
Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Statements regarding IBM's future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260224864622/en/

Nicole Gorman

Gorman Communications, for Deepgram

M: 508-397-0131

nicole.gorman@gormancommunications.com

Erica White

Ecosystem & AI Communications, IBM

erica.white@ibm.com

305-506-5929

Source: Deepgram