PDF Create! Enables the Creation of PDF from Any PC Application - Up to 5 Times Faster and 1/5 the Cost of Other Solutions; PDF Converter 2.0 Turns PDF into Fully-formatted Microsoft Word Files

Peabody, Mass., May 26, 2004 - ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), the global provider of speech and imaging solutions, today expanded its family of PDF solutions and introduced new products that can address the growing demand for PDF solutions in companies and organizations of all sizes.

The company unveiled ScanSoft® PDF Create!, a new product that allows users to create industry-standard PDF documents from any Microsoft Windows application up to 5 times faster and at one-fifth the cost of other solutions, and released a new version of PDF Converter, the world's number one solution for turning PDF documents and forms into fully-formatted Microsoft Word documents. ScanSoft also introduced PDF Converter Professional 2.0, which combines both PDF Create! and PDF Converter in a single, affordable PDF solution.

The PDF format has been widely embraced by design and pre-press professionals, who value the format for its ability to enable digital workflows with print shops and publishing houses, and has also become a standard for placing same-as-paper documents and forms on the Web. But the deployment of PDF creation capabilities within business environments has been slowed due to the high cost, complexity and limitations found with current solutions. The new releases from ScanSoft overcome these historical barriers by delivering the price, performance and features specifically designed for business users, enabling organizations to deploy PDF solutions to every business desktop.

"PDF has moved into the professional office, but applications have suffered as they try to be all things to all people," said Harvey Spencer, president, Harvey Spencer Associates, a consulting analyst company. "This approach has resulted in products that have lost their performance and/or usability edge or worse, fail to address unique features needed by business professionals. ScanSoft is addressing this gap, by providing a fast and affordable PDF creation solution combined with the ability to turn PDF documents back into Microsoft Word - an uncommon need in design shops but invaluable within office environments."

PDF Create! is significant because it delivers better PDF for business, enabling PDF creation at up to 5 times faster than alternatives and pricing that starts at just $49.99 before volume discounts. PDF Create! removes the complexities associated with creating PDF documents, providing users with an easy-to-use application that has tight integration with Microsoft Office and Windows. While fast and affordable, the product delivers the rich set of features needed by business users, including compatibility with Adobe Acrobat and Reader, password and encryption, font embedding and more.

"We've recognized for some time that using PDF to share business documents can provide us with an added level of security and convenience, but found existing solutions too expensive for wide deployment," said Dr. Allan Shapiro, manager of business development, Alda Pharmaceuticals. "With PDF Create!, ScanSoft has distilled the best of PDF into a product that is easy-to-use, has the features we need and is affordable enough to put on every PC."

ScanSoft® PDF Converter 2.0 delivers significant enhancements and features for turning PDF documents into fully-formatted Microsoft Word documents. Already the world's number one-selling PDF-to-Word solution, PDF Converter has been extended to not only convert documents, but also to turn PDF forms into the Microsoft Word format. The product is also unique in delivering a built-in PDF viewer, which enables converting specific pages of a PDF, even if Adobe Reader is not installed on the system. Also priced at $49.99, PDF Converter provides business users with capabilities not available at all within other more expensive PDF applications.

"It is amazing how much time you can save by being able to accurately turn PDF into Microsoft Word," said Harold Nichols, contract industrial relations administrator for Eaton Aerospace, a leading aviation component supplier with 51,000 employees worldwide. "In the past I would get a PDF I needed to edit, and have to send a request for the original document. With PDF Converter Professional, I don't waste time waiting for the original or resorting to re-keying the document. This product allows me to work more efficiently and easily pays for itself the first time you use it."

ScanSoft's PDF solutions family includes:

• PDF Converter Professional 2.0 - ScanSoft has delivered the first and only product that combines PDF creation with PDF conversion. A bundle of PDF Create! and PDF Converter 2.0, PDF Converter Professional significantly improves productivity by providing business professionals with the ability to more seamlessly move between the two dominant electronic document formats - Microsoft Word and PDF. With PDF Converter Professional organizations now have access to an industry-leading PDF solution that has the price, performance and features that can put the power of PDF on every business desktop.
  
  
• PDF Create! 2.0 - ScanSoft's new PDF Create! enables PDF creation from any Microsoft Windows application through the "print" option, and provides toolbar and mouse shortcuts within Microsoft Office and Windows Explorer. Also included is PDF Create! Assistant, an easy-to-use desktop application that enables the batch conversion of multiple files into the PDF format, as well as merging multiple file formats into a single PDF document. This is especially valuable for sharing specialized documents, such as drawing (Microsoft Visio), photo editing (JASC PaintShop Pro), layout (Microsoft Publisher), CAD (Autodesk AutoCAD), accounting (Intuit QuickBooks), and contact management (ACT!) applications.
  
  
• PDF Converter 2.0 - With PDF Converter 2.0, ScanSoft has added or improved upon the features that matter most to make converting PDF-to-Word easier and more effective than ever before. PDF Converter Assistant enables the batch conversion of multiple files from PDF-to-Word-without needing to open Microsoft Word. In addition, ScanSoft has added logical form recognition (LFR) to PDF Converter, enabling users to turn PDF forms into Microsoft Word forms that can be edited or filled. Improved format retention ensures that even complex PDF documents with a blend of text, graphics and bullets are formatted accurately, while added support for image-only PDF documents and security encryption ensures that all types of PDF documents are quickly and easily converted.

"With an estimated 400 million users of Microsoft Office and just 9 million copies of Adobe Acrobat sold, we see significant potential with our PDF product line," said John Shagoury, president, ScanSoft Productivity Applications Division. "ScanSoft's PDF solutions not only provide organizations with an alternative to existing solutions, they also enable unique capabilities that result in more efficient document authoring, editing and distribution, no matter the format."

Availability and Pricing

ScanSoft PDF Professional 2.0 is $99.99, with ScanSoft PDF Create! and PDF Converter 2.0 priced at $49.99 each. Volume discounts and maintenance and support options are available for all products through the ScanSoft Open License Program. All of the solutions will be available by June 1, 2004 through ScanSoft's global network of reseller partners. The products support Office 2003, XP, 2000 and 97, on Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, NT and 98. For additional information on features, pricing and volume licensing programs, please visit www.ScanSoft.com or call (1) 800.443.7077.

About ScanSoft, Inc.

ScanSoft, Inc. 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 additional information on the company, please visit www.ScanSoft.com.

Trademark reference: ScanSoft and the ScanSoft logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company names or product names referenced herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with market trends, competitive factors, and other risks identified in ScanSoft's SEC filings. Actual results, events 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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