ACCESS Announces Advanced eMagazine Service for Smartphones, Tablet Terminals and Digital TVs

ACCESS CO., LTD., a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, today announced that it is expanding its e-publishing platform business by adding an innovative eMagazine service for smartphones, tablet terminals and digital TVs. The eMagazine service includes the selection and digitization of eMagazine content as well as ACCESS’ NetFront™ Magazine Viewer v2.0. The eMagazine content provided by ACCESS will be available this autumn as part of DOCOMO’s eBook Trial Service, which features two new DOCOMO Android™ devices from Samsung Electronics, the GALAXY S smartphone and the GALAXY Tab. Additional target handsets include the Sony Ericsson Xperia™, which is already available as well as DOCOMO Android handsets to be released in the future. In addition, ACCESS has developed a concept version eMagazine application for Panasonic Corporation’s VIERA series TVs that enables advanced interaction functions with eMagazines on TVs.

ACCESS’ eMagazine Service for DOCOMO’s eBook Trial Service

DOCOMO’s eBook Trial Service runs from October 28, 2010 to the end of December 2010. Its goal is to improve the usability of DOCOMO’s planned eBook service through the collection of feedback from users of the trial service. ACCESS is providing eMagazine selection (content aggregation) and content digitization for DOCOMO’s eBook Trial Service. The magazine lineup consists of eight eMagazines, including three information eMagazines plus five popular eMagazines with additional eMagazines to follow. Included among the eMagazines is Tokyo Calendar EXTRA (Special Edition), a special version of Tokyo Calendar EXTRA, published by ACCESS, that is exclusive to DOCOMO users of Android devices such as the Samsung GALAXY S and GALAXY Tab and which uses the advanced features available in ACCESS’ NetFront Magazine Viewer v2.0, to their fullest potential.

NetFront Magazine Viewer v2.0 for Android^™

NetFront Magazine Viewer v2.0 for Android supports advanced features including audio/video playback, image enlargement, call origination and map display. Users can, for example, click on the picture of a restaurant owner and listen to the owner describe his restaurant via video, or pictures in the restaurant menu can be enlarged to show detail, and the phone numbers listed on a page can be clicked on to initiate a call to that number while selecting the restaurant address can display a map of the restaurant’s location. Additionally, information in the magazines that users have downloaded is automatically updated at every startup, so users can enjoy the very latest information available from their magazines.

eMagazine Application for Panasonic’s VIERA Series TVs

ACCESS has developed a concept version of its eMagazine application for Panasonic’s VIERA series TVs. The eMagazine concept version application extends the dynamic functionality of eMagazines specifically for TVs, and includes features such as the ability to display pictures as a slide show. The latest edition of Tokyo Calendar EXTRA will be used as the source material for the eMagazine application.

Tokyo Calendar EXTRA for iPad™ and NetFront Magazine Viewer v2.0 for iPad

ACCESS launched the first issue of Tokyo Calendar EXTRA (Japanese edition only) for the iPad in October. Tokyo Calendar EXTRA features a unique eMagazine format that supports advanced interactive functions when viewed with ACCESS’ NetFront Magazine Viewer v2.0 for iPad. While Tokyo Calendar EXTRA eMagazines contain the same content as corresponding hardcopy editions, its structure and size are customized for electronic displays. Tokyo Calendar EXTRA also supports advanced interactive functions such as video and audio playback, map display and web browsing.

In the Tokyo Calendar EXTRA Vol. 1, for example, when the entry "Ginza Delicious Food Map” on the index page is selected, the restaurant information linked with the featured articles is displayed categorized by genre, budget or type along with a picture of each restaurant’s featured menu items. Users can enjoy not only reading articles, they can also obtain detailed restaurant information by searching for a preferred restaurant or by using the three genres. Users can also select and display detailed information on a particular restaurant by simply clicking on its map location. Tokyo Calendar EXTRA also supports other advanced dynamic features like picture slide shows.

ACCESS’ eMagazine Service

ACCESS’ eMagazine service is a comprehensive solution that enables carriers, manufacturers and publishers to deliver advanced eMagazine services. ACCESS’ eMagazine service includes the selection of eMagazines (content aggregation), digitization and distribution of content as well as technologies like NetFront Magazine Viewer v2.0. The range of supported devices has expanded from mobile terminals, smartphones and tablet terminals, to devices such as digital TVs. With the latest edition of the eMagazine Tokyo Calendar EXTRA, ACCESS has established a method for content creation that takes the digitization of material into consideration from the initial stage of gathering materials for articles right to the finished eMagazine.

"The smartphone market is currently experiencing dramatic growth both in the number and variety of available devices, and Internet-connected TVs are also seeing very rapid development and adoption,” commented Tomihisa Kamada, CEO of ACCESS. "One result of these two rapid growth trends is that the development and deployment of eBook and eMagazine services is also becoming very important for carriers and device manufacturers as a way to help differentiate their products and services from those of their competitors. ACCESS is uniquely positioned to help carriers and device manufacturers launch successful eBook and eMagazine services. ACCESS has both the know-how and track record in technology and content that is required to deliver these advanced services. We are currently providing a variety of eBook and eMagazine services to carriers, manufacturers, publishers, and others all over the world. And ACCESS will continue to deliver innovative new technologies and services that will maximize the appeal of eBook and eMagazine services.”

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™ Browser, ACCESS Linux Platform™ and Garnet™ OS, 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 Mother’s Index under the number 4813. For more information about ACCESS, please visit http://www.access-company.com/

© 2010 ACCESS CO., LTD. All rights reserved.

ACCESS, the ACCESS logo, NetFront, ACCESS Linux Platform and Garnet are registered trademarks or trademarks of ACCESS CO., LTD. in the United States, Japan and/or other countries.

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