Press Release

AvMed Deploys Conversational Voice Self-Service from TuVox and ScanSoft

CUPERTINO, Calif. — July 12, 2005 — TuVox, the pioneer in enterprise software for speech applications, today announced that AvMed Health Plans, Florida's largest not-for-profit health plan, has deployed speech applications from TuVox and ScanSoft (Nasdaq: SSFT) to enhance its customers' service offerings with superior voice-enabled self-service. By replacing its touch-tone IVR system with a conversational voice self-service solution from TuVox and ScanSoft, AvMed now leverages state of the art speech applications to better service its health insurance members and medical providers, as well as reaps the benefits of increased call automation. Currently, 40 percent of AvMed's incoming calls are automated by TuVox speech applications, representing a substantial savings for the company. AvMed expects automation to continue to increase as they add additional feature enhancements.

With tens of thousands of incoming calls every month, AvMed realized that it was critical to make the self-service experience simple, intuitive and effective for callers. With TuVox and ScanSoft, AvMed was able to quickly and easily replace its DTMF system and rapidly reap the cost savings and customer service benefits of sophisticated speech applications for their members and providers.

"As part of AvMed's effort to provide better self-service capabilities for our members and medical providers, we have already realized the cost and customer service benefits of replacing our touch-tone IVR system with a much more sophisticated solution from TuVox and ScanSoft," said John Higbee, CIO of AvMed. "Because of the application lifecycle management suite built into the TuVox premise-based solution, we are able to avoid costly professional service fees typically associated with sophisticated speech applications and can maintain the applications easily and cost-effectively with our internal resources, trained by TuVox."

The joint solution from TuVox and ScanSoft enables AvMed medical providers to bypass hierarchical push-button mazes, and instead complete their transactions by simply stating requests like "I'd like to check member eligibility and co-payment," "I'd like to request new service pre-authorization," or "I'd like to obtain member insurance information." Likewise, health insurance members can easily interact with the speech application to confirm referrals, check eligibility and confirm insurance deductible information.

"The addition of AvMed to our growing customer roster highlights the industry's progress in recognizing the compelling benefits enterprises can reap from voice self-service," said Larry Miller, president and CEO, TuVox. "With the joint TuVox ScanSoft speech applications, AvMed is delivering a superior caller experience that not only enhances customer satisfaction, but increases automation while reducing call center costs."

About AvMed Health Plans
AvMed Health Plans is Florida's largest not-for-profit health plan, improving access to health care for members for more than 30 years, while serving Florida communities in the major metropolitan areas of the state. Through an extensive broker network, AvMed offers health care coverage on a fully insured and self-funded basis for employer groups in Florida. Additionally, AvMed offers health care product to Medicare beneficiaries in South Florida. AvMed has offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville and Jacksonville. For more information, visit www.avmed.org.

About ScanSoft
ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT) is a 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® products and technologies, please visit www.scansoft.com.

About TuVox
TuVox is the leading provider of enterprise software for speech applications. TuVox award-winning software creates a superior caller experience through sophisticated speech applications that are fast to develop and easy to deploy and maintain. Built completely on open standards, TuVox's patent-pending enterprise software can automate virtually any type of callÑincluding natural language call routing, self-service transactions, information requests and product support. TuVox has pioneered industry-leading SmartGenª technology that allows enterprises to quickly create highly sophisticated and conversational speech applications from their existing content, data and business processes. TuVox's mission is to create high quality voice applications that deliver a superior and differentiated caller experience, and to make voice automation so cost-effective that any enterprise can deploy it.

TuVox customers include companies such as Activision, AvMed, Columbia House, Definity Health, Netflix, Oriental Trading Company, Roxio, TiVo, TV Guide and the United States Postal Service.

For a demonstration or more information, visit www.tuvox.com or call 1-866-257-1830.

TuVox, SmartGen and TuVox Speech Technology Protection Plan are trademarks of TuVox Incorporated. All other company or product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

ScanSoft, the ScanSoft logo and SpeechWorks are trademarks or registered trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other company names or product names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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