Smart Communications, Inc.

What Smart Communications, Inc. does

Smart Communications, Inc. is a New York City-based AI and NLP software company that develops controlled-language authoring and language-simplification tools for technical documentation in regulated industries. Its customers include large enterprises and government agencies in aerospace and defense (Northrop Grumman, U.S. Army, Australian Defence Forces), semiconductors and industrial OEMs (ASML), medical devices (Abbott, Agilent), oil and gas (BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, SLB), heavy machinery and mining (Komatsu, Liebherr, FLSmidth), energy (PlugPower), telecommunications (Nortel), and state government (New York State DMV). The company's offerings are positioned around industry standards for plain-language and technical documentation, including ASD-STE100 (Simplified Technical English), DO-178C for airborne software, and S1000D for technical publications.

The flagship product is MAXit Checker, a rule-based NLP engine with more than 19,000 rules and inferences that has been extended with Agentic AI capabilities. The broader MAXit family includes MAXit Creator (authoring), MAXit Lexicon Manager (terminology management), and MAXit Text Miner (corpus analysis), supplemented by a ChatGPT-integrated translation tool that leverages large language model APIs. The technology is integrated with enterprise content and product-lifecycle platforms through partnerships with Adobe, Microsoft, PTC, IBM, Siemens, AWS, and AI infrastructure providers Nvidia and Cerebras.

The business model combines quote-based software licensing (with Starter Kit, Enterprise, and LiTE editions), one-time and perpetual license terms, and attached professional services and language engineering engagements. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct enterprise sales plus OEM and platform partners, with international reach via subsidiary or partner offices in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Arizona. Smart Communications is a private, founder-owned firm with 51-100 employees and no disclosed external funding, and it has received recognition including U.S. Army Excellence Challenge Coins.

Name

Smart Communications, Inc.

Legal name

Smart Communications, Inc.

Website

https://smartny.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smart Communications, Inc. is a New York City-based AI and NLP software company that builds controlled-language authoring tools for technical documentation in aerospace and defense, medical devices, oil and gas, and government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI-Powered Documentation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Writing, Grammar, Spelling & Composition Tools (EDAFAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

AI-Powered Language Tutors, Chatbots & Speaking Practice Tools (EDAFAOAC)

Keywords

• AI text simplification
• NLP software tools
• Technical documentation
• Plain language software
• Text mining software

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: Licensing of MAXit Checker software as plugins to authoring tools (Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker, PTC Arbortext). Enterprise and LiTE (smaller) versions available. License-based model with downloadable installers and dictionary updates.
2. Professional Services: Contract technical writing, writer training classes (four 2-hour sessions), text mining services, consulting, technology audits, AI/NLP programming services, and post-editing services for machine translations.
3. Language Engineering Services: Custom dictionary development and terminology management services. AI software tools customized to specific products or services. Includes Lexicon Manager setup and training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Smart Communications, Inc. develops and sells the MAXit Checker and related AI/NLP-based software that automatically identifies and rewrites complex technical language into plain English for readability and compliance. The company complements its software products with professional services including technical writing, writer training, custom AI/NLP programming, text mining, technology audits, post-editing, and Plain English Programs.

Product overview

Smart Communications, Inc. offers a suite of AI-powered language simplification tools centered around the MAXit Checker as the core product. The MAXit Checker is an Agentic AI tool using 19,000+ NLP rules to validate and simplify technical documentation for compliance with standards like ASD-STE100, S1000D, and various industry-specific specifications. Supporting the MAXit Checker are SMART Text Miner (terminology extraction from legacy texts), SMART Lexicon Manager (custom dictionary management), and ChatGPT Translate integration for language translations. The company also provides professional services including technical writing, writer training, AI/NLP programming, text mining services, technology audits, and post-editing services. The tools integrate with authoring platforms including Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker, PTC Arbortext Editor, and XMetaL. The company serves aerospace, defense, automotive, semiconductor, oil and gas, medical devices, mining, government, and telecommunications industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAXit Checker: AI-powered tool that uses 19,000+ NLP rules to simplify and standardize complex technical English documentation. Available as plug-in for Microsoft Word, Adobe FrameMaker, and PTC Arbortext Editor.
• SMART Text Miner
• SMART Lexicon Manager

Products and services

• MAXit Checker

Quantifiable outcome

• Machine translation accuracy of 96% from Controlled English source text
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration31 records

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Quotec GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAviation consultancy partner for NATO and Europe. Based in Zug, Switzerland. Provides strategic guidance for European aerospace and defense documentation standards compliance.
• OMNIA Multilingual Solutions, Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for UK and Italy markets. Offices in Milton Keynes, UK, and Sassuolo, near Modena, Italy. Focus on multilingual documentation solutions.
• InXsol Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for eLearning projects. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Collaboration on technical training and eLearning content development.
• Adobe (FrameMaker)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for Adobe FrameMaker integration. MAXit Checker for FrameMaker reads structured text (.xml and .dita) and unstructured text, showing suggestions in dialog boxes.
• Microsoft (Word, Azure Cognitive Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner. MAXit for Word linked by API to Microsoft Word ribbon. IBM Partner for Watson X, Microsoft Developer for C/C++, C#, Azure Cognitive Services.
• PTC (Arbortext Editor)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for PTC Arbortext Editor. MAXit for Arbortext reads .xml, .dita and .sgml formatted documents common to aerospace and defense.
• IBM (WatsonX, DOORS)coreTechnology or IntegrationIBM Partner for Watson X and DOORS. Integration for enterprise documentation systems and AI/NLP platforms.
• Siemens (Teamcenter)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for Siemens Teamcenter integration. Part of digital transformation platform ecosystem.
• Nvidia (NIMs, PTX, CUDA, C++, Linux)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner. Skills in Nvidia platforms including NIMs, PTX, CUDA, C++, and Linux for AI/NLP development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lionbridge: Lionbridge is a large language-services incumbent offering translation, localization, and AI data services. It overlaps with the language-engineering and translation portion of Smart Communications' portfolio at a broader scale.
• Grammarly: Grammarly is a widely deployed AI writing assistant that covers grammar, style, and tone. It competes for the broader writing-quality budget but lacks the standards-compliance and on-premises posture of MAXit Checker.

Others

• PTC (Arbortext): PTC is both a technology partner and a broader PLM/content-management vendor whose Arbortext Editor hosts MAXit Checker as a plug-in. It is comparable as a structural authoring environment but is an enabler rather than a competitor in language simplification.

Emerging players

• LanguageTool: LanguageTool is an open-source-based grammar and style checker with enterprise offerings. It is a partial competitor on grammar/style but is not standards-validated for ASD-STE100 or S1000D.
• Textio: Textio is an AI writing-improvement platform focused on recruiting and corporate communications. It is comparable as an AI writing tool but targets different content types and lacks regulated-industry standards focus.

Direct peers

• Acrolinx: Acrolinx is an enterprise content quality platform that checks terminology, style, and tone against custom rule sets. It is the closest direct competitor to MAXit Checker in the technical and regulated documentation niche.
• Smartling: Smartling is a translation management platform with brand-voice and quality controls. It is comparable on the language-quality and translation dimension but focused more on digital/marketing content than technical documentation.
• Welocalize: Welocalize provides regulated-industry translation, localization, and language quality services. It is comparable through its technical and life-sciences translation practices that intersect with MAXit Checker's medical and aerospace deployments.
• RWS Group (formerly SDL): RWS provides language services, translation memory, and controlled-language tooling (e.g., Trados, Contenta). It overlaps with Smart Communications on multilingual technical documentation and standards-driven translation workflows.
• Trados (RWS): Trados is the dominant translation memory and CAT tool for technical translators. It overlaps with Smart Communications' translation and Controlled English use cases for multilingual technical content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smartny
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-communications-new-york

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart Communications, Inc.