TOKYO & SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ACCESS CO., LTD. a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, today announced the release of NetFrontTM Life, an application series for end users. NetFront Life comprises a series of applications, which ACCESS provides directly to users of Android™ and iOS smartphones and tablet terminals. NetFront Life applications are designed to provide enhanced functionality, productivity and ease of use. The initial NetFront Life release features four applications now available on the Android Market. These applications are available for Android smartphones sold globally. Future releases of the NetFront Life application series will support Android tablets.
“Together with the expansion of the smartphone market, the demand for applications which are able to customize terminals according to the user’s preference is increasing throughout the world”
NetFront Life applications bring together all of the technologies and experience that ACCESS has achieved from years developing mobile software. The initial release features four applications including NetFrontTM Life Browser, an HTML5 compatible, leading-edge browser; NetFrontTM Life Documents, a Microsoft Office® document viewer; NetFrontTM Life Screen, an application that enables users to customize their device’s home screen; and Graffiti®, a single-stroke handwriting recognition application. All of the applications include advanced functions that make users’ smartphone experience more enjoyable and productive.
NetFront Life Browser includes the newly developed scrapbook feature. It enables users to freely clip text or images by encircling them with their favorite shape (using their finger) while browsing and then storing the clips. Another function is visual loading, which displays large web pages in a thumbnail window before completing the page render. Tilt mode is another unique feature that displays pages diagonally on device screens to enable an optimized display ratio of text size and the number of lines visible on the screen. NetFront Life Browser also supports Flash® for the display and playback of web pages with Flash content. ACCESS is going to expand the NetFront Life product line while also improving current applications by securing and incorporating feedback from end users.
ACCESS has also entered into a strategic tie-up with Yahoo Japan Corporation (Yahoo! JAPAN), the largest portal site in Japan. The tie-up adds a search function coupled with advertisements (provided by Yahoo! JAPAN), to the NetFront Life Browser (in Japan only). In addition, sites such as the Yahoo! JAPAN home page, Yahoo! Auction and Yahoo! Shopping are already bookmarked so that users can easily access and enjoy the popular services provided by Yahoo! JAPAN. ACCESS, together with Yahoo! JAPAN, will continue to improve the user experience for NetFront Life series applications by combining them with various services from Yahoo! JAPAN.
“ACCESS is one of the most outstanding independent companies in the world in the field of embedded mobile software,” said Masataka Matsumoto, vice president, Frontend Development, R&D Unit, Yahoo Japan Corporation. “ACCESS, which has an advantage in the field of mobile software for B2B, and our company, which has an advantage in the field of Internet service for B2C, are indeed in a complementary relationship, and I am confident that by integrating the technologies and the know-how of both companies, we will be able to create a new business opportunity in the field of mobile Internet service. As a strategic partner, Yahoo! JAPAN will continue to support expanding the range of services related to NetFront Life series, and to provide services with enhanced convenience to end users in cooperation with ACCESS.”
“Together with the expansion of the smartphone market, the demand for applications which are able to customize terminals according to the user’s preference is increasing throughout the world,” said Tomihisa Kamada, president and CEO, ACCESS. “ACCESS’ NetFront embedded software series has been adopted by carriers and manufacturers all over the world, and the total number of devices in which the software has been deployed is soon expected to reach one billion. Utilizing this experience, we have brought the NetFront Life series for end users to market. And by entering into a strategic tie-up with Yahoo! JAPAN, the Internet services company in Japan, we are going to improve the usability of the series even further. We will continue to make every effort to provide products and services which realize an enriched mobile life for users by reflecting the requests from customers during development and by continuously optimizing the development process.”
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As the basis for the NetFront Life service, ACCESS has developed a cloud-based system that includes a server for managing applications, a server for an application-embedded store and a distribution system for application-embedded advertisements. ACCESS will provide this system to companies in publishing, advertising, and retail as a solution that can accelerate the growth of marketing and advertising services available on smartphones and tablets.
ACCESS has launched NetFront Life as a global brand with applications and services for end users. The company expects to leverage NetFront Life to strengthen not only its business for end users (B2C) but also its existing enterprise business (B2B). Additional information about NetFront Life is available at http://www.netfrontlife.com (English version) and http://jp.netfrontlife.com (Japanese version).
About ACCESS
ACCESS CO., LTD. is a global company providing leading technology, software products and platforms for web browsing, mobile phones, wireless handhelds, digital TVs and other networked devices. ACCESS’ product portfolio including its NetFront™ series provides customers with solutions that enable faster time to market, flexibility and customizability. The company, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operates subsidiaries and affiliates in Asia, Europe and the United States. ACCESS is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers’ Index under the number 4813. For more information about ACCESS, please visit www.access-company.com.
© 2010 ACCESS CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
ACCESS, the ACCESS logo, NetFront and Graffiti are registered trademarks or trademarks of ACCESS CO., LTD. in the United States, Japan and/or other countries. The registered trademark LINUX® is used pursuant to a sublicense from Linux Mark Institute, the exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a world-wide basis. Android and Android Market are registered trademarks of Google Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Excel and PowerPoint are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Yahoo! and Yahoo! logo are trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other trademarks, logos and trade names mentioned in the document are the property of their respective owners.
