PEABODY, Mass., June 12, 2000 - ScanSoft®, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), today announced the availability of TextBridge® Pro Millennium Business Edition, the latest version of the company's Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software designed to enable businesses to convert paper documents into electronic files that can be edited. This new release offers a 27% improvement in PDF file compression as well as improved memory management, making it the ideal solution for any paper-intensive organization wishing to effectively integrate paper into the electronic workflow. In addition, TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition has passed Microsoft's stringent testing requirements and received the "Certified for Windows 2000" logo.

As organizations become increasingly digital, vast amounts of existing paper must be converted to an electronic format in order to fit into the digital workflow. Documents, forms and images need to be stored electronically, shared via e-mail and posted on the Web. PDF (Portable Document Format) has become the standard for most organizations to digitally publish paper-based information. A high speed, highly accurate paper-to-PDF generator and OCR product, TextBridge Millennium Business Edition is the ideal solution for companies of any size who need to incorporate large amounts of paper into the digital workflow. Additionally, TextBridge Millennium Business Edition's ability to output to Web-friendly formats such as PDF and WYSIWYG HTML makes it an optimal solution for businesses creating online content from paper.

"Paper is still a primary information source for companies, although the vast majority operate in an electronic environment," said John Hoye, ScanSoft's Director of Product Marketing. "TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition is a mission-critical solution for any business that wishes to tap valuable content in various paper-based information - including documents, forms, tables, graphics, photos and images - for use electronically."

Companies in paper-intensive industries, including the legal, healthcare, pharmaceutical and education fields, as well as government entities, will find TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition particularly advantageous due to its ability to efficiently convert large amounts of paper into PDF files. Once the information is published to a PDF format, it is easy to archive, search on, retrieve and share throughout the organization on the network, corporate intranet or via the Web. TextBridge Millennium Business Edition is priced at $499 and provides the capabilities to convert an unlimited number of pages to PDF, making it a cost-effective solution.

TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition: An Ideal OCR Solution for Corporate Users

Improved PDF Output

The newest version of TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition offers users a 27% improvement in the quality of PDF output files over the previous version, particularly those with graphics and photos. The PDF files are smaller, improving picture display capabilities. TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition generates three universally recognized PDF formats: PDF Normal, PDF Image Only and PDF Image + Text, the most common format for displaying images converted from paper-based documents.

TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition also outputs to a number of other formats, including HTML, WYSIWYG HTML, Word, Excel and ASCII.

Improved Memory Management

TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition provides flexibility for business users who need to convert large documents containing many pages into an electronic format. A temporary file location can be designated by the user to avoid space problems when processing large documents.

Live Updates

A unique addition to TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition is ScanSoft's new "Live Updates" technology, a seamlessly integrated feature that delivers updates directly to users' desktops via the Internet. Users can be assured of receiving the latest product enhancements, including scanner drivers and output filters, as they are introduced.

Certified for Windows 2000 and Improved Instant Access

TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition passed the stringent requirements set by Microsoft to achieve Windows 2000 certification. Windows 2000 certification ensures that TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition users can easily migrate to the latest edition of the Windows operating system. TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition supports Microsoft Office 2000, including the Premium edition, through export format support and improved "Instant Access" integration. TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition also runs on Windows 95, 98 and NT platforms. An improved "Instant Access" feature allows users to run TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition within popular Windows applications.

About TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition

Proven accuracy of better than 99% using ScanSoft's highly accurate recognition engine: the same engine licensed by Microsoft.
Exclusive Accumorph™ technology recognizes and visually repairs degraded characters on poor quality documents.
Recognition of 56 languages: ideal for overseas offices that need to scan documents in their native language.
Retains color pictures, graphics, illustrations and artwork and accurately places them into the digital document maintaining the look and feel of the original.
"Instant Access" feature allows users to run TextBridge Pro within another application, including word processing, spreadsheets and other text-based applications.
PageMirror™ technology retains the look and format of the scanned document. Columns, tables, charts and color photos appear true to the original document.
Intuitive, user-friendly interface makes scanning simple: send results to MS Word, MS Excel, a supported Web browser or an e-mail application with a single click of a button.
WYSIWYG HTML formatting allows TextBridge Pro users to automatically turn paper into Web pages while maintaining documents' original layout.

Price and Availability

TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition is immediately available and can be purchased on CD or for download directly from ScanSoft by calling 888-345-6203, or by visiting www.scansoft.com, as well as through the following electronic resellers: www.buy.com, www.beyond.com, www.amazon.com, www.computers4sure.com and www.outpost.com. TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition can also be purchased from major software catalog vendors, including CDW, Insight, MicroWarehouse and PC Connection. The estimated street price of TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition is $499.00 for the full version.

Registered TextBridge Pro Business Edition customers can purchase an upgrade to TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition for $199.00. To take advantage of this offer, please visit www.scansoft.com or call (888) 345-6203.

About ScanSoft, Inc.

Headquartered in Peabody, MA, ScanSoft, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSFT) is the 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 - Paper Converter™, Pagis® Pro, TextBridge® Pro, PaperPort® Deluxe™, OmniPage Pro®, OmniForm®, OmniPage Pro Scan Suite Plus™, ImageAXS™, PageKeeper®, Kai's PhotoSoap2™, 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 has established numerous strategic partnerships with the industry's leading scanner and multifunction vendors to deliver the most comprehensive and cost-effective solutions to 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, Microtek, Mustek, Primax, Sharp, Symantec, 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 TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition, 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 TextBridge Pro Millennium Business Edition, 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.

TextBridge, Paper Converter, Pagis, PaperPort, PaperPort Deluxe, Scanner Suite, OmniPage, OmniForm, OmniForm Internet Publisher, PageKeeper, Smart Folders and Folder Watch are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. ImageAXS is a trademark of Digital Arts & Sciences Corporation. All other trademarks and trade names are hereby recognized and may be registered to their respective holders.

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