ScanSoft is at the Head of the Class for Getting Organized and Having Fun at School

Students and Teachers Work Smarter and Play Harder with Imaging Software

PEABODY, Mass., - August 17, 2000 - ScanSoft®, Inc., the leading provider of digital imaging software, tops the back to school list for educators and students who want to stay organized, work smarter and have more fun on campus. Professors and students alike are benefiting from ScanSoft's wide range of user-friendly imaging products to make their lives easier and improve the quality of their work. From chemistry class to the language department to the dorms, ScanSoft is helping people to be better prepared and more organized for class.

Teachers Use ScanSoft's Technology to Cut Preparation Time

Teachers and professors across the country are finding ScanSoft's software an invaluable tool in converting paper documents to electronic format for easy storage, reference and distribution to students and colleagues. In addition to increasing efficiency, the software can significantly cut class preparation time.

Glenn Alexander, a chemistry teacher in Chicago Heights, Illinois, uses ScanSoft's TextBridge® optical character recognition software to prepare for class. Using the OCR software, Alexander is able to take older textbook information, scan it and view it on his computer screen. He then incorporates this data into worksheets, review sheets and handouts and even links it back to the specific class he is teaching, eliminating the need to retype the information.

"The software allows me to combine old material with new, giving my students exposure to all areas of study," said Alexander. "It makes preparing for class more efficient because I have already weeded out useless information, and can present the pertinent information in an easy-to-follow format."

Foreign language teachers also find ScanSoft's software useful. Using products such as TextBridge Pro Millennium and OmniPage Pro®, which support a wide range of languages, professors can scan text in a variety of languages with very little editing. The accuracy of the OCR function makes copying foreign characters and words a quick and easy process. Joanne Cannon Carlson, Multimedia Programmer at the Center for Foreign Languages and Cultures at Smith College, uses OmniPage to scan text in a variety of languages, and then include it in course materials or post it to the Web.

Students Find ScanSoft's Imaging Software Cuts Clutter and Helps Produce A+ Projects

College students are using ScanSoft's products to be better organized. Liberal Arts students use the OCR software to store research papers, reading assignments and homework, eliminating some of the clutter in their already too tiny dorm rooms.

Adam Kraemer, a college student from Astoria, New York, likes to reference his old term papers without having to dig through his dorm room. "I scan in my old papers from high school and college that I want to save, giving me the ability to quickly pull up and reprint documents as I need them."

ScanSoft can even make the most extensive research projects easier. Rather than diligently taking notes and copying every word from textbooks and reference materials, students can scan pages into a document where relevant information can be added or taken out. Some students are even taking research projects one step further by using digital imaging software to create interesting, professional-looking documents with scanned-in photographs or artwork, which supplement and enhance the written text.

Teachers and Students Use PhotoFactory to Create Presentations and Share Fun Photos

ScanSoft's software can be used for creating compelling presentations in the workplace, home or school. Ethel Leary, a commercial art instructor at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica, Massachusetts, says she uses PhotoFactory™ as both a presentation tool and as part of her curriculum in her Commercial Art & Design class. "It's amazing and affordable!"

Outside of the classroom, ScanSoft offers software for scanning, editing, improving and sharing photos. Using ScanSoft's PhotoFactory photo imaging software, students can scan in fun school photos and e-mail them to friends and family, organize them on their PC, create electronic photo albums and even make creative collages. PhotoFactory also lets students repair photos that may have gotten torn or damaged, and even allows them to morph pictures of friends, family and professors into hilarious images.

For more information or to order ScanSoft products, please visit www.scansoft.com.

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 - Pagis Pro, TextBridge Pro, PaperPort Deluxe, OmniPage Pro, OmniForm, OmniPage Pro Scan Suite Plus, ImageAXS, PageKeeper, Paper Converter, 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 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 more than 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 ScanSoft's products, 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 ScanSoft's products, 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.