Cape Town, South Africa - World Blind Union General Assembly - December 6, 2004 - ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), the global leader of speech and imaging solutions today announced that Vodafone is expanding its offering of ScanSoft® SpeechPAK TALKS™ application for blind and low-vision customers across Europe.

Already widely used in several countries around the world, the Vodafone Speaking Phone is based on ScanSoft's SpeechPAK TALKS application, and provides blind and low vision consumers access to many of today's advanced wireless services, including e-mail, short messages, menus and contacts. The Vodafone Speaking Phone is available on a range of Symbian Series 60 handsets in the United Kingdom, and South Africa, and it is intended to be introduced in a further six countries during 2005, including Ireland, Italy, Greece and Portugal.

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 180 million people who are blind or have low vision, and the visually impaired population has expanded more than 50% in the last decade. Vodafone Speaking Phone directly addresses this expanding population by providing a full-featured mobile phone that enables individuals to have access to information and common features on their mobile phones - from short text messages to caller ID -- read aloud to them in a natural-sounding voice.

Vodafone Speaking Phone provides users with the information they need quickly, in a comfortable, easy-to-use manner, alerting them to messages such as email, text messages and incoming calls, and provides a unique caller ID function that enables users to learn who is calling without picking up the phone. Typical caller ID features are visually based, and force the blind or low-vision caller to answer the phone to learn who is calling. With Vodafone Speaking Phone, the caller's identity is read aloud to the user in a voice that is configurable and easy to understand. In addition, speech-enabled access to practical features, such as battery and signal strength, ensures that users can maintain the basic functions of the telephone.

"At Vodafone we are committed to increasing access to mobile communications for all of our customers, and the Speaking Phone is an important part of this initiative," said Guy Laurence, Global Marketing Director Consumer, Vodafone. "Speech is a tremendous equalizing interface and enables our blind and low-vision customers to effectively and pleasantly use their mobile phones to their full potential. We are delighted to be working with ScanSoft on a global basis to deliver this product to our customers."

Based on ScanSoft SpeechPAK TALKS, Vodafone Speaking Phone provides a host of features designed to make mobile phones more accessible, and to directly meet the needs of the blind and low-vision community or provide accessibility to those who simply wish to become more productive through hands-free access to important information. With Vodafone Speaking Phone, users can:

Hear caller ID information and check logs of incoming and outgoing calls

Write and listen to emails, text messages and notes

Manage contact information and dial phone numbers from the directory

Use the appointment calendar

Edit and add contacts, settings and profiles according to their personal preferences

Use the calculator, alarm clock and other important tools

Hear practical information about the battery level, network and signal strength

"ScanSoft's speech solutions make mobile devices more accessible for all types of users, and the Vodafone Speaking Phone levels the playing field for blind and low-vision consumers," said Alan Schwartz, vice president of SpeechWorks, a division of ScanSoft. "While the Vodafone Speaking Phone is primarily designed to meet the needs of blind and low-vision customers, the speech output and convenience can also be used to create a positive customer experience for other mainstream markets, such as automotive applications."

Vodafone is a trade mark of the Vodafone Group. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trade marks of their respective owners.

About the SpeechWorks Division of ScanSoft

ScanSoft delivers field-proven speech solutions. Its unmatched portfolio and expertise help thousands of companies around the world to improve the way we communicate. Through a global partner network, the company delivers solutions that use the human voice to interact with information systems and devices. 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.

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, the ScanSoft logo, SpeechWorks, and SpeechPAK TALKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other company names or product names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

About Vodafone

Vodafone is the world's largest mobile community, with equity interests in 26 countries and Partner Networks in a further 13 countries, serving over 147 million proportionate customers. Vodafone's global consumer service offering, Vodafone live!, opens up a world of mobile colour communication, bringing news, information, email, chat, location-based services, games and shopping to customers' mobile devices.

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