PC Magazine Names ScanSoft PaperPort Pro 9 Office One of the 'Best Products of 2003'

PEABODY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2004--

New Version of PaperPort Awarded 5-of-5 Stars for Its "Invaluable" Document Management and Scanning Features, as well as for Its Expanded Support for Creating and Searching PDF Files

“It is notable that the editors focused on PaperPort's importance as a way to improve the way people work with all of their files -- paper and digital, PDF and Microsoft Office.”

ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), the leading supplier of speech and imaging solutions, today announced that PaperPort(R) Pro 9 Office has been named one of the "Best Products of 2003" by the editors of PC Magazine, a widely respected Ziff-Davis Media publication. PaperPort Pro 9 Office, the world's most popular paper and document management application for the PC, is the first solution to combine the power of creating PDF files, the convenience of network scanning and the efficiency of document management, into a single, easy-to-use office productivity application.

PaperPort Pro 9 Office was awarded the highest ranking possible -- Five Stars -- and joined Microsoft Office 2003 and just four other products to gain recognition from PC Magazine within the "Best Productivity Software" category for 2003. The editor's review recognized PaperPort as the "best way to manage documents, electronic files and Web pages," and lauded its extended support for scanning, creating and working with PDF files. While millions of users rely on PaperPort to scan paper into organized digital documents, the features in the new release motivated the editors at PC Magazine to state, "Even if you don't have a scanner, you'll probably find dozens of ways to organize your data files with PaperPort Pro 9 Office. It is well worth the price." The complete review is available online at www.pcmag.com.

PaperPort's intuitive thumbnail-based presentation allows pages within documents of all kinds -- including scanned paper, PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more -- to be instantly viewed and found without launching the associated application. Its sophisticated full-page optical character recognition (OCR) engine automatically creates search keywords for scanned paper and PDF files, allowing its SimpleSearch(TM) feature to find all matching documents -- from standard Microsoft Office and other digital document types, to scanned paper and business cards, as well as PDF files received on email or downloaded from the Web.

PaperPort's DesktopDelivery(TM) feature reduces the costs associated with manually copying and storing paper documents by automatically delivering scanned pages to a user's PC from local or network scanning devices, including MFPs and digital copiers. DesktopDelivery instantly converts scanned images into PDF files and launches PaperPort, whose drag and drop tools users can use to send the files as email attachments, store the files on the PC or on the network, or print the files in color or black & white.

"We are proud to have PC Magazine recognize ScanSoft PaperPort Pro Office as an essential productivity solution for office workers everywhere," said Robert Weideman, general manager, ScanSoft Productivity Applications. "It is notable that the editors focused on PaperPort's importance as a way to improve the way people work with all of their files -- paper and digital, PDF and Microsoft Office."

About PC Magazine

PC Magazine, the independent guide to technology, delivers comprehensive labs-based reviews and the most trusted recommendations for buyers of technology products and services. Reaching more than 5.9 million highly engaged technology readers, PC Magazine provides product reviews, first looks at emerging technologies and products, and opinionated columns from renowned technology pundits. To meet its readers' needs for buying information that is as current as it is comprehensive, PC Magazine publishes 22 times a year in print and continually on the Web.

About ScanSoft, Inc.

ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT) is the leading supplier 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.

Trademark reference: ScanSoft, the ScanSoft logo, PaperPort, SimpleSearch, and DesktopDelivery are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company or product names 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 or 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.