PEABODY, Mass., - December 18, 2001 - ScanSoft®, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), a leading supplier of imaging, speech and language solutions, today announced that Autodesk, Inc., the world's leading design software and digital content company, is using ScanSoft's Developer's Kit 2000 recognition technology in Autodesk®Raster Design 3 software (formerly called Autodesk®CAD Overlay®). Through the use of ScanSoft's Developer's Kit 2000, Autodesk has integrated optical character recognition (OCR) technology from ScanSoft and ICR technology for handprint from RE Recognition, a ScanSoft technology partner.

Under terms of the collective agreement, Autodesk is using ScanSoft and RE Recognition technologies as the text recognition engines in Autodesk Raster Design 3, an editing and image-processing application for Autodesk's GIS, Building Industry, Manufacturing, and general design customers. With ScanSoft and RE Recognition's technology, users of Autodesk Raster Design can edit and verify the accuracy of both handprint and machine print text from scanned drawings and maps and easily integrate it into the broader design process. Autodesk Raster Design is designed for installation with all of Autodesk's AutoCAD® 2002-based applications.

"Many organizations have large amounts of paper-based legacy data, including scanned drawings, maps, and images, that is not being put to use as it is either too cost-prohibitive or time consuming to convert into a digitally reusable format," said Kim Davis, director of marketing and product management for the GIS Solutions Division at Autodesk. "Being able to accurately incorporate that data into the broader design process is key to maximizing the value of their data. ScanSoft's OCR technology provides our users with important tools for increasing data accuracy and making the conversion process much faster, which ultimately helps them reduce costs and extract more value from their legacy data."

"ScanSoft is excited to be working with Autodesk, the leader in its field, on this new and innovative use of our paper-to-digital technologies for digital designers," said Wayne Crandall, senior vice president of sales and marketing at ScanSoft. "The integration of our technologies with the wide array of Autodesk customers demonstrates the achievement of our strategic objectives to expand into new markets."

About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. The company serves a diverse portfolio of markets, including building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering tools that foster innovation and creativity, Autodesk helps customers throughout the value chain leverage digital design data to work better, faster, and smarter. Autodesk is one of the largest global software companies, with annual revenues of $936 million. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

About ScanSoft, Inc.

ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT) is the leading supplier of imaging, speech and language solutions that are used to automate a wide range of manual processes - saving time, increasing worker productivity and improving customer service. For more information regarding ScanSoft products and technologies, please visit www.scansoft.com.

Trademark reference: ScanSoft, PaperPort Deluxe, OmniPage Pro, TextBridge, Pagis, OmniForm, eOmniForm, and Developer's Kit 2000 are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc., in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks and trade names mentioned are hereby recognized and may be registered to their respective holders.

The Company notes that the statements in this release that relate to future plans, events, performance, including without limitation the projected shipment dates, customers' opting to upgrade to newer or more fully featured products are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market acceptance, engineering delays, quality assurance testing delays, contractual negotiations, successful completion of beta site testing, the scheduling of orders, changes in operating systems, a significant change in the competitive environment, timely delivery by component suppliers and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports. Readers are cautioned not to place undo reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

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