Small Business Convention coming

Small business owners will have an opportunity to network, obtain resources and attend presentations and workshops at the Spokane Small Business Convention, an event hosted by Posted Consulting.

The convention will be held on Sunday, March 27 from 1-5 p.m. at Burbity Workspaces, 2818 N. Sullivan Road, Suite 100, in Spokane Valley.

Tickets are on sale for $20.

The event will offer a $40 branding photo session from J. Goodacre Photography, door prizes and snacks.

Local chambers of commerce and public resources for small business owners will also be in attendance.“If we’re successful, every attendee that joins us for the convention will leave with their questions answered and a community of professionals they can go to for help in the future,” Christine Burns, founder of Posted Consulting, said in a statement. “This event is meant to provide resources to sustain and grow Spokane’s local businesses.”

Sponsors for the event include Burbity Workspaces, Posted Consulting, Associated Industries, The Spokane Journal of Business, Numerica Credit Union, Northtown Insurance and Greater Spokane Incorporated. For more information, please visit www.spokanesmallbusinessconvention.com.

Microsoft closes Nuance deal

Microsoft has closed on its approximately $16 billion acquisition of speech recognition company Nuance.

The deal, which was announced last year, helps Microsoft Corp. get more entrenched into hospitals and the health care industry through Nuance’s widely used medical dictation and transcription tools.

The acquisition is Microsoft’s second-largest after its $26 billion purchase of career networking service LinkedIn in 2016.

Nuance’s artificial intelligence technology helped power Apple’s Siri digital voice assistant upon its release on iPhones more than a decade ago.

From staff and wire reports