ScanSoft PDF Converter Named 2005 SIIA Codie Awards Finalist

ScanSoft PDF Converter Named 2005 SIIA Codie Awards Finalist

    Business Editors

    PEABODY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 2005--

    Industry-Leading Trade Association Recognizes ScanSoft PDF
    Converter as one of the Best Business Productivity Solutions

    ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), the global leader of speech and imaging solutions, today announced that ScanSoft(R) PDF Converter Professional 2 has been named a finalist in the "Best Business Productivity Product or Service" category for the 20th annual Codie Awards, sponsored by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA). ScanSoft PDF Converter Professional is a bundle of PDF Create!, a fast and affordable solution that enables PDF creation from any PC application, and PDF Converter, a unique product that turns PDF back into fully-formatted Microsoft Word documents.
    Established in 1986, the Codie Awards are the longest-running awards program in the software and information industry, acknowledging the industry's most innovative products and services. In this initial round of judging, software and information industry trade journalists, national technology writers and analysts and education technology specialists reviewed all nominees and selected only the best as finalists. ScanSoft PDF Converter Professional was chosen as a finalist against a pool of more than 46 other products in the "Best Business Productivity Product or Service" category.
    "The 20th annual Codie Awards continue the tradition of honoring the best of the software, content and education technology industries," said Ken Wasch, SIIA President. "When one considers the number of outstanding companies that competed this year, being named a Codie Awards finalist is a significant achievement."
    Known by millions for its PaperPort(R), OmniPage(R), OmniForm(R) and Dragon NaturallySpeaking(R) office productivity applications, ScanSoft has quickly earned the reputation for delivering PDF solutions that have the price, features and performance needed to put PDF on every business desktop.

    ScanSoft PDF Product Family

--	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.

    "We are proud that PDF Converter has been recognized as a leading business productivity solution by such an esteemed trade organization as SIIA," said Robert Weideman, senior vice president, ScanSoft Productivity Applications. "This acknowledgement provides further validation that we are truly delivering what it takes to provide 'Better PDF for Business' by offering features designed specifically for increasing business productivity."

    About SIIA

    The Software & Information Industry Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education, and intellectual property protection to more than 700 leading software and information companies. For further information, visit http://www.siia.net.

    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(R) products and technologies, please visit www.ScanSoft.com.
    Trademark reference: Better PDF for Business, Dragon, NaturallySpeaking, OmniForm, OmniPage, PaperPort, 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.
    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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CONTACT: ScanSoft, Inc. Erica Hill, 978-977-8466 Email: erica.hill@scansoft.com or Waggener Edstrom Jenny Krentzman, 617-663-4829 Email: jennyk@wagged.com

KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE SOURCE: ScanSoft, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2005