PEABODY, Mass., May 11, 2004 - ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), the global leader of speech and imaging solutions, today announced additional and enhanced product support for the Media Resource Control Protocol (MRCP), a standard for managing speech technology servers in distributed system architectures that is rapidly gaining acceptance.

SpeechWorks® solutions that support MRCP now include SpeechPearl® MRCP speech recognition, RealSpeak™ MRCP text-to-speech (TTS), and the updated OpenSpeech™ MediaServer 2.0, originally released with MRCP compliance in October, 2002, which now features support for the latest versions of OpenSpeech™ Recognizer speech recognition and Speechify® TTS.

MRCP is a network protocol that builds on VoIP to provide a vendor-independent interface between speech technology servers and telephony application platforms, speeding system development while providing customers with greater choice. ScanSoft and Cisco Systems, co-authors of the original MRCP proposal, have demonstrated the effectiveness of MRCP in several recent speech solution deployments.

"The advanced speech recognition capabilities of OpenSpeech Recognizer allow our Cisco Internet Service Node (ISN) customers to automate routine caller requests, even for complex transactions that can't be addressed adequately with DTMF-input alone," said Barry O'Sullivan, vice president and general manager of Cisco's Customer Contact Business Unit at Cisco Systems. "By drawing on open standards such as MRCP and VoiceXML we can deliver self-service telephony applications for nearly any task our customers require."

Companies deploying customer self-service telephony applications depend on speech recognition and TTS to help deliver outstanding caller satisfaction while generating significant cost savings. They increasingly rely on MRCP to ensure system scalability and investment protection. ScanSoft is working with a growing array of partners to deliver MRCP-based solutions around the world, including Cegetel, Cisco Systems, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratory, HP, Intervoice, LociaCMG, NetCentrex, and VoiceGenie Technologies.

"We continue to invest in and expand our speech recognition and TTS capabilities because those investments yield superior application performance," said Steve Chambers, president of SpeechWorks, a division of ScanSoft. "We work closely with our partners to bring these new benefits to customers quickly, a process that is being accelerated substantially by the widespread adoption of MRCP."

Pricing and Availability

SpeechPearl MRCP, RealSpeak MRCP, and OpenSpeech MediaServer are available today on a variety of operating systems. Contact your local sales representative for pricing.

About the SpeechWorks Division of ScanSoft

SpeechWorks is the most trusted name in speech. Through its global partner network, SpeechWorks delivers field-proven applications that revolutionize the way people interact. Today, thousands of companies and millions of users around the world depend on SpeechWorks® solutions from ScanSoft to deliver vital business information and simplify every day life. For information, please visit www.scansoft.com/speech.

About ScanSoft, Inc.

ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT) is the global leader of speech and imaging 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, RealSpeak, SpeechPearl and the ScanSoft logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. in the United States and other countries. SpeechWorks, OpenSpeech and Speechify are registered trademarks or trademarks of SpeechWorks International, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company or product names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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