PEABODY, Mass., - March 27, 2000 - ScanSoft, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSFT) today announced that its PaperPort® paper management software will be bundled with the new CopyPoint™ 2000 write on/wipe off electronic white board with built-in printer from Brother International Corporation. The deal is the latest in a series of major OEM signings designed to extend ScanSoft's presence beyond its traditional SOHO market.

PaperPort allows users to save and download to a PC notes written on the CopyPoint 2000 White Board. The electronic files can then be saved and viewed as thumbnail images for quick identification. Users can search for documents by content, annotation or header. PaperPort also includes TextBridge® Classic OCR software that lets users turn paper-based documents -- contracts, newspaper and magazines articles, for example -- into files that can be edited using Microsoft Word, Excel, and others, without retyping.

"We're pleased to be partnering with ScanSoft. The CopyPoint 2000 White Board with built-in printer lets users working in a dynamic setting -- a brainstorming session, for example -- easily capture ideas on the fly, and ensures everybody leaves the meeting with the same notes," said Dean F. Shulman, senior vice president of Brother International Corporation. "The addition of PaperPort provides users with a robust set of tools that significantly enhance the information gathering and management process."

"This is an exciting partnership for us because the CopyPoint 2000 White Board with built-in printer and our products complement each other in functionality and marketplace," said Wayne Crandall, ScanSoft's senior vice president of sales and business development. "ScanSoft is aggressively pursuing corporate opportunities such as these for our products, and I believe this agreement provides a real solution to the challenges of systematically capturing, managing, and communicating the copious amount of notes and ideas generated in boardrooms, classrooms and the like."

The CopyPoint 2000 product and PaperPort bundle is currently available through the Office Depot catalog. For more information call 1-877-Brother (1-877-276-7746). For additional information about PaperPort and ScanSoft's other award-winning digital imaging software, please visit www.scansoft.com. To find out more about Brother, please visit www.brother.com.

About Brother

Bridgewater, New Jersey is the corporate headquarters for Brother in the Americas, from Canada to South America. Fully integrated sales, marketing, services, manufacturing, research and development capabilities are located here in the U.S. In addition to its headquarters, Brother has branches in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Texas, as well as subsidiaries in Ohio, Canada, Brazil, Chile and Mexico

About ScanSoft, Inc.

Headquartered in Peabody, MA, ScanSoft, Inc. is a leading developer of digital imaging software that enables users to leverage the power of their scanners, digital cameras and other electronic devices. ScanSoft's award-winning product line - Pagis Pro™, TextBridge Pro™, PaperPort Deluxe™, OmniPage Pro™, OmniForm™, OmniPage Pro Scan Suite Plus™, ImageAXS™, Kai's Photo Soap2™, Kai's SuperGoo™, Kai's PowerShow™, and PhotoFactory™ - enables users to capture, recognize, edit, manage and share documents and photos electronically by taking advantage of ScanSoft's cutting-edge technology.

ScanSoft software is sold and marketed worldwide through retail, dealer and OEM channels and the Internet, capturing the consumer, small office/home office (SOHO) and corporate markets. There are approximately 2.9 million registered users of ScanSoft products. For additional information, visit www.scansoft.com.

ScanSoft has established numerous strategic partnerships with the industry's leading scanner and multifunction vendors to deliver the most comprehensive and cost-effective solutions for its customers. Vendors who have chosen ScanSoft's cutting-edge OCR technologies to incorporate into their own product offerings include Brother, Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Lotus Development Corporation, Microtek, Mustek, Primax, Sharp, Symantec Corporation, Visioneer, Xerox and others. ScanSoft's leading OCR technology was recently licensed by Microsoft for use in future products. ScanSoft continues to cultivate and develop strategic partnerships to deliver the most comprehensive and cost-effective solutions for its customers.

ScanSoft software is sold and marketed worldwide through retail, dealer and OEM channels and the Internet, capturing the consumer, small office/home office (SOHO) and corporate markets. There are approximately 6 million registered users of ScanSoft products. ScanSoft can be found on the Web at www.scansoft.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements as to the features, perceived benefits and availability of PaperPort, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the market acceptance of PaperPort, the impact of competitive products, and other risks detailed from time to time in ScanSoft's SEC reports. ScanSoft disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

PaperPort, PaperPort Deluxe, TextBridge, Paper Converter, Pagis, and Scanner Suite are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

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