U.S. Military Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Selects ScanSoft Drago

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

    PEABODY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2005--

    Largest American Hospital Outside of the United States Taps ScanSoft Dragon NaturallySpeaking to Increase Efficiency, Improve Patient Care, Reduce Costs

    ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), the global leader of speech and imaging solutions, today announced that the U.S. Military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), a permanent U.S. Military installation located in the German State of Rheinland-Pfalz, and the largest American hospital outside of the United States, has selected ScanSoft(R) Dragon NaturallySpeaking(R) Medical 8 as its preferred speech recognition solution for streamlining patient care. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the world's leading speech recognition solution, enabling the automatic conversion of speech into text at up to 160 words per minute, and allowing the voice-control of software applications simply by speaking.
    The LRMC selected Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical 8 to allow its physicians to dictate directly onto their PCs and handheld devices, creating clinical reports entirely by voice. This could eliminate the need for manual transcription and significantly reduce the costs and turnaround time of creating reports through medical transcription services, ultimately improving the quality of care and the speed with which it can be delivered. This front-end speech recognition is the fastest way to enter clinical data into electronic medical records (EMR) systems and delivers the greatest reduction in transcription processing costs. With its unrivaled speed and accuracy, Dragon NaturallySpeaking technology is designed to allow healthcare organizations to save thousands of dollars per doctor each year in reduced or eliminated manual transcription costs and enable them to focus on patient care.
    ScanSoft's Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical 8 has built-in understanding for more than 300,000 words, and includes pre-made vocabularies covering terms found in 14 different specialty areas, including General Medicine, Pathology, Radiology, Cardiology and Surgery disciplines. Healthcare organizations can also easily add their own words to the solution to create fully customized vocabularies.
    "We selected Dragon NaturallySpeaking based on the accuracy and speed with which our physicians can document clinical notes, and the proven cost savings that we know speech recognition delivers," said Lieutenant Colonel Mike Fravell, CIO, LRMC. "With Dragon NaturallySpeaking, we can reduce the time and costs associated with manual transcription, while at the same time free up our doctors to spend more time with patients."
    ScanSoft's Dragon NaturallySpeaking provides healthcare technology suppliers and integrators with the ability to quickly and easily speech-enable commercial and in-house PC- and Web-based Healthcare Information Systems (HIS) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) applications, and delivers unrivaled speed and accuracy. Dragon NaturallySpeaking technology can save healthcare organizations thousands of dollars per doctor each year in reduced or eliminated manual transcription costs. Tens of thousands of physicians worldwide use ScanSoft's Dragon technology to achieve substantial time and money savings, enabling them to focus on enhancing patient care.
    "Healthcare organizations continue to see the real results that speech technology can deliver, not only in the quality of patient care, but also in the increased productivity and cost savings," said John Shagoury, president, ScanSoft Productivity Applications Division, ScanSoft. "Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking, organizations such as LRMC can dramatically reduce costs associated with transcription services and other repetitive tasks, freeing up doctors to focus on improving the quality and efficiency of patient care."

    About Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC)

    Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) is a permanent U.S. Military installation located in the German State of Rheinland-Pfalz. LRMC is the largest American hospital outside of the United States, and the only American tertiary hospital in Europe. The hospital provides primary and tertiary care, hospitalization, and treatment for more than 52,000 American military personnel and their families within the center's boundaries. The center also provides specialized care for the more than 250,000 additional American military personnel and their families in the European Theater. More information can be found at http://www.landstuhl.healthcare.hqusareur.army.mil.

    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: ScanSoft, the ScanSoft logo, Dragon, and NaturallySpeaking are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names mentioned 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 erica.hill@scansoft.com or Waggener Edstrom Jenny Krentzman, 617-663-4829 jennyk@wagged.com

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

Copyright Business Wire 2005