ScanSoft's Conversations 2004 Kicks Off: AOL, GE, SBC and Verizon Keynote Annual Speech Conference

Speech Industry's Premier User Conference Draws Industry Leaders and Participants from Around the World

CONVERSATIONS 2004, BOCA RATON, Florida, October 4, 2004 - ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), the global leader of speech and imaging solutions, today announced that AOL, GE, SBC and Verizon will be featured keynotes at Conversations 2004, ScanSoft's annual international speech conference. In addition to the keynote addresses, conference attendees will also participate in numerous interactive conference sessions featuring industry leaders including Aetna, Bank of America, BellSouth, Great Eastern Life, Nestle Waters, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and many more.

ScanSoft's Conversations is the world's preeminent speech user conference, where industry leaders and executives gather to gain a deep understanding of innovative breakthroughs and real-world applications that impact the industry today, and learn about the significant customer service improvements that speech delivers to partners and customers around the world. The forum is designed to be interactive, and includes presentations and industry roundtables from some of the world's most innovative organizations that have transformed customer service, increased productivity and enhanced communication by embracing speech.

Throughout the conference, participants will have the opportunity to learn first-hand from some of the industry's leading innovators, as well as learn more about real-world applications that have made an impact on customer care and business processes in a range of enterprises, carrier organizations and vertical industries. Key sessions include:

• Creating an Enterprise Speech Strategy
  
  
• The Impact of a Branded Call Center
  
  
• The Business Case for Speech-Driven Auto Attendant
  
  
• Speaker Verification: Alleviating Your Security Concerns
  
  
• Cutting-Edge Embedded Solutions for your Customers
  
  

Principal sponsors for Conversations 2004 include Aspect, Cisco Systems, Convergys Corporation, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Intel, Nortel Networks and supporting sponsors include Avaya, Edify, Intervoice and Voice Genie. Conversations will include presentations from market makers such as Aspect, Cisco Systems, Convergys, Intel, Genesys and Nortel Networks. During the conference, ScanSoft will also present its Best Practices Awards to acknowledge organizations whose leading speech services have produced compelling business returns and high levels of customer satisfaction.

"ScanSoft is excited to welcome our sponsors, speakers and attendees to Conversations 2004. This year's conference includes an impressive cadre of speakers and representatives from many of the world's leading organizations - from Fortune 500 companies to innovative start-ups that will share their experiences and best practices with a record number of attendees," said Steve Chambers, president of SpeechWorks, a division of ScanSoft. "Conversations is the industry's most anticipated user-focused event where customers, partners and industry leaders gather to share industry ideas and learn about advances in speech technology."

About Conversations

Conversations, now in its sixth year, brings together hundreds of companies and speech experts to share among peers the essentials of launching effective speech services. Conversations 2004 offers participants an understanding of new breakthrough applications, partner roles and opportunities, and provides a behind-the-scenes look into ScanSoft's speech initiatives.

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 and the ScanSoft logo, are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries 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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