Automobile Club de L'Ouest Selects ScanSoft RealSpeak

PEABODY, MA and GENT, BELGIUM - ScanSoft Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), a supplier of imaging, speech and language solutions, announced that the AOC (Automobile Club de L'Ouest), organizer of the motor race "Les 24 heures du Mans", has selected ScanSoft's RealSpeak for its first speech-enabled race information service. Developed and hosted by the Paris-based NetVoice Telecom, the Le Mans AudioTel information service uses ScanSoft RealSpeak to convert text-based race information into human-sounding synthesized speech. Using RealSpeak, the Le Mans AudioTel information service provides race supporters and enthusiasts with immediate access to Le Mans team news, schedules and standings using fixed or mobile phones from anywhere in the world. "Much like the race itself, the Le Mans AudioTel information service has to run seamlessly 24 hours a day, and be able to support constantly changing content. We selected the NetVoice platform and ScanSoft RealSpeak because they met our requirements for superior quality and stability," said Jean Marc Desnues, Communication director at the AOC. "Since our Web site had 7 million hits during the event last year we expect that the new information service will connect with an even larger number of supporters, keeping them informed through the phone." "ScanSoft is thrilled to provide the text-to-speech technology behind this service. RealSpeak gives access to dynamic information sources and delivers natural sounding content to users in almost any location and on virtually on any device," said Peter Hauser, ScanSoft's senior vice president and general manager, International. "We are especially pleased to have a strong partner such as NetVoice Telecom, who makes such a prestigious application possible."