ScanSoft's Electronic Forms and Paper Management Software Win PC Magazine's Prestigious 5 Dot Award

OmniForm 4.01 and PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 Recognized for Technical Excellence

PEABODY, Mass., - November 20, 2000 - - ScanSoft®, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSFT), the leading provider of digital imaging software, today announced that OmniForm® 4.01 and PaperPort Deluxe®7.0 have been selected for PC Magazine's 5 Dot Award. The 5 Dot Award recognizes the highest level of excellence in product performance. The award is given only to those products that meet the highest testing standards of reviewers and technicians from PC Magazine's PC Labs.

OmniForm 4.01, the latest version of ScanSoft's OmniForm, enables users to create and design forms from scratch, or convert a scanned image into a fully editable electronic form that can be filled out on screen, stored, printed, and then distributed electronically. A key feature in OmniForm 4.01 is one-click access to eOmniForm.com™, ScanSoft's new Internet forms hosting service. With eOmniForm.com, users can publish a form to a ScanSoft-hosted Web site where anyone can easily access the form and fill it out on the Internet. eOmniForm.com also allows users to collect, edit, and retrieve form data by downloading all the new records directly into the OmniForm 4.01 database on a local computer.

"With OmniForm 4.01 and eOmniForm.com, users can create and modify online forms quickly and easily," writes contributing editor Alfred Poor in the October 3, 2000 issue of PC Magazine. "The best news is that after you create your form with OmniForm, you can publish it on the Web - no programming necessary. And the service won't break your budget."

ScanSoft's PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 is the best-selling paper management software for small office and home office. PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 enables users to organize, retrieve and share scanned documents and photos, as well as files that already exist electronically, such as word processing documents, photos, spreadsheets and Web pages.

In the July 26, 2000 issue of PC Magazine, a review states, "PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 simplifies the task of getting the contents of a page into your computer, then passing it to programs where you can put the information to work."

"Meeting PC Magazine's rigorous testing standards to earn the 5 Dot Award for two of our software products, is a great accolade for ScanSoft," said Wayne Crandall, ScanSoft's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "The awards affirm our mission to create products that provide the most accurate, efficient, and cost-effective digital imaging solutions for our customers. "

Pricing and Availability

OmniForm 4.01 and PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 can be purchased on CD or for download directly from ScanSoft by visiting www.scansoft.com, or by calling 888-345-6203, as well as through the following electronic resellers: www.buy.com, www.beyond.com, www.amazon.com, www.computers4sure.com and www.outpost.com. ScanSoft products can also be purchased from ScanSoft's retail partners, including Best Buy, CompUSA, Fry's, Micro Center, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Sam's Club and Staples, as well as major software catalog vendors, including CDW, Global Computer Supplies, Insight, MicroWarehouse and PC Connection.

The estimated street price of OmniForm 4.01 is $149. eOmniForm.com is available as a direct launch through OmniForm 4.01. Customers can choose between three levels of service.

• Basic Service - Hosts up to 50 forms - No charge for the first year; $49.95 per year thereafter
• SOHO Service - Hosts up to 20 forms - $89.95 per year
• Enterprise Service - Hosts up to 50 forms - $174.95 per year

There is no charge for the first year of Basic Service for anyone who purchases OmniForm 4.01. In all three services, each form can collect up to 100,000 entries.

The estimated street price for PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 is $59.95. For the name and location of the retailer nearest you, visit ScanSoft on the World Wide Web at www.scansoft.com.

Registered OmniForm and PaperPort customers can purchase the upgrade versions by visiting www.scansoft.com, or by calling (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 - PaperPort Deluxe, Pagis Pro, TextBridge Pro, OmniPage Pro, OmniPage Pro Scan Suite Plus, OmniForm, eOmniForm, Paper Converter, PageKeeper, ImageAXS, 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 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 technologies have been 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 6.5 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 OmniForm and 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 OmniForm and 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.