PEABODY, Mass., July 31, 2002 - ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), a leading supplier of imaging, speech and language solutions, today announced that NowSpeed, Inc. has chosen ScanSoft® RealSpeak™, the industry's preeminent text-to-speech (TTS) solution, for its NowSpeed Mobile Office™ application suite.

With companies utilizing a multitude of communication vehicles in their operation, speech-enabling technologies can help connect people to their personal and business data, safely and securely. NowSpeed sought a comprehensive TTS engine to enhance its current NowSpeed Mobile Office™ applications and deliver solutions that extend applications from the corporate desktop to mobile phones, remote PCs, wireline telephones and PDAs.

After a thorough selection process, the company identified RealSpeak as the most comprehensive solution for its diverse needs. Today, NowSpeed Mobile Office™ users enjoy the benefits and convenience of RealSpeak to access and review their e-mail and calendar information from cell phones or touch-tone telephones worldwide.

ScanSoft's RealSpeak is the market-leading product for converting text into human-sounding synthesized speech. The technology is used for a wide range of applications, including delivering emails for unified messaging systems, providing prompts for interactive voice response (IVR) applications and speech-enabling mobile, automotive, game and PC/multi-media applications.

"In ScanSoft RealSpeak, we found the ideal text-to-speech solution," said Rob Friedman, chief technology officer, at NowSpeed, Inc. "Our NowSpeed Mobile Office™ Web, Mobile Browse, Voice and Sync packages are the premier mobile communication offerings in the market. With ScanSoft RealSpeak incorporated in our applications, we are able to deliver a robust, speech-enabled solution that offers enterprise employees secure access to their important business information."

"ScanSoft believes that mobile technology will continue to dominate the communications landscape for some time to come," said Wayne Crandall, senior vice president of sales and business development at ScanSoft. "With RealSpeak we have responded to the demand for quality text-to-speech applications, delivering best-of-class technology, tangible business benefits and continued customer satisfaction."

About ScanSoft RealSpeak

The ScanSoft RealSpeak family can be used to speech-enable nearly any device or application - in nearly any language. They support a range of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Windows CE and Windows CE for Automotive, as well as Intel-based Linux systems. RealSpeak is available in up to 19 languages, depending upon platform, including US and UK English, German, French, Dutch & Belgian Dutch, Castilian and Mexican Spanish, Italian, European and Brazilian Portuguese, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Danish and Cantonese & Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

About NowSpeed, Inc.

NowSpeed is a mobile solutions software company delivering solutions that extend user-critical applications from the corporate desktop to mobile phones, remote PCs, ordinary telephones, and PDAs. The company's technology is focused on providing software tools that increase productivity and responsiveness among mobile professionals and telecommuters. NowSpeed's software is targeted toward a variety of industries including financial services, technology, pharmaceutical, professional services and management consulting.

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.

ScanSoft and RealSpeak are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company or product names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performances are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with market trends, competitive factors, and other risks identified in the Company's SEC filings. Actual results, event and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof.

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