ACCESS Introduces Micro Browser That Combines WML

ACCESS Introduces Micro Browser That Combines WML, Compact HTML and XHTML Basic Capabilities For Next-Generation Mobile Phones

Access Opens European Office, Demonstrates New Product at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany

ACCESS Co., Ltd., a leading provider of embedded Internet software solutions, announced Compact NetFront Plus, a new micro browser with native support for the three most important standards for mobile phone Internet access: WML (Wireless Markup Language) used in WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) phones; Compact HTML used in i-Mode phones; and XHTML Basic, regarded as the new global standard subset for XHTML. Compact NetFront Plus enables mobile phones to seamlessly display content in any one of these three formats, providing a clear transition path towards 3G (generation) wireless Internet services while maintaining investments in today’s services.
ACCESS is uniquely positioned to bring this multi-function solution to market, as its Compact NetFront browser has been commercially shipped with more than 10 million mobile and wireless devices including i-mode phones, which are very popular in Japan. Because of the worldwide appeal of the company’s products, a European office has been established in Oberhausen, Germany. Compact NetFront Plus will be demonstrated for the first time in ACCESS’ booth (Hall 25, Stand A77) at CeBIT 2001 in Hannover, Germany, March 22 28, 2001.

A New Standard for 2.5 3G Global Markets
Compact NetFront Plus sets a new standard in micro browsers for the 2.5G and 3G global mobile phone markets. Compact HTML, WML 1.3 and XHTML Basic are supported, and Internet content based on both HTML and WML can be displayed by this single browser. Therefore, manufacturers can save memory size and shorten development time by using ACCESS’ browser for all these functions.
“ACCESS’ wireless philosophy is that the underlying technologies are moving toward more direct compliance with Internet standards. Compact NetFront Plus gives the industry a clear transition path to 2.5G and 3G wireless services. This transition will make it possible to leverage the huge existing resources in the Internet industry, which brings benefits to all players such as operators, handset manufactures, server vendors, and content providers,” stated Dr. Tomihisa Kamada, executive vice president and CTO of ACCESS.

Advantages of Compact NetFront Plus
Compact NetFront Plus is based on ACCESS’ proven Compact NetFront browser, the industry’s first and most popular micro browser based on the Compact HTML standard. Compact NetFront Plus’ modular architecture makes it easy for device manufacturers to port to a familiar CPU and operating system. Using a simplified window system optimized for Compact NetFront Plus, developers can separate the development of deeply embedded, hardware-dependent software such as serial drivers and network protocol stacks (CDMA, GSM, etc.) from other device-independent sub-system development.
Compact NetFront Plus’ independent user interface (UI) module allows device manufacturers to easily customize the UI, icons, status bar, email screen and message dialog boxes. Compact NetFront Plus’ capabilities also can be extended by adding proven middleware for the wireless Internet, including Java^TM Virtual Machine ‘JV-Lite2 Wireless Edition’, IPv4/IPv6 dual protocol stack ‘AVE-TCP for Wireless’, Japanese Kana-Kanji conversion kit, a secure communication protocol and crypt modules ‘AVE-SSL’.
Operators can start service using Compact NetFront Plus with a minimal investment. Via standard TCP/IP protocol for the Internet, an operator may prepare a standard http proxy server to directly connect to the Compact HTML and XHTML sites, as well as the legacy WML sites, without any conversion server like a WAP gateway. Furthermore, since secure communication SSL (Secure Socket Layer) can be used, Compact NetFront Plus is ideal for mobile commerce and banking.
Since its contents are based on HTML, which can be easily created by many people, users of phones equipped with Compact NetFront Plus will be able to create their own home pages for pleasure.

Deployment of European Office
To meet the growing market demand for ACCESS’ Internet technology products, including the software platform for Internet appliances and wireless Internet devices, ACCESS opened an office in Germany last October. This office is located at Essener Strasse 3 D-46047, Oberhausen, Germany, with a main phone number of +49-208-8290-6464. E-mails for this office can be sent to schmaenk@access-sys-eu.com. Marketing, sales, and development support have already been started from this office, and ACCESS plans to make this European office a subsidiary during the first half of 2001.
ACCESS also operates a successful subsidiary in the United States. ACCESS Systems America, Inc. was founded in Milpitas, Calif., in November 1999. Information about ACCESS Systems America can be found at www.access-us-inc.com.

Active in Worldwide Format Standardization
ACCESS developed Compact HTML as a subset of HTML suitable for the small screen and button operation of a mobile phone. In conjunction with five major manufacturers (Fujitsu, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, NEC and Sony) in February of 1998, ACCESS proposed the Compact HTML specification with W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). Recently, ACCESS served as Co-Editor in defining the specification of XHTML Basic at W3C, which became a W3C recommendation in December 2000. In addition, ACCESS is serving as the Editor of the markup language of WAP2.0 standardization activity at the WAP Forum.

Availability Schedule
The Early Access version of Compact NetFront Plus will be available in the second quarter of 2001. The final production version will be shipped in the fourth quarter of 2001. This schedule matches the plans of mobile phone makers such as NEC, Mitsubishi, and U.S. Motorola for 2.5G and 3G phones.

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