ACCESS and OKI ACCESS Technologies Announce Full Scale VoIP Solution for iPhone, Android(TM) and Windows Mobile(R) OS

TOKYO, May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- ACCESS CO., LTD. a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, and OKI ACCESS Technologies Co., Ltd. (OAT), today announced NetFront™ IP-Phone, a full scale VoIP solution with 3G and Wi-Fi air interfaces designed to support all three major smartphone operating systems: iPhone, Android™ and Windows Mobile®. Jointly developed by ACCESS and OAT, NetFront IP-Phone is designed for commercial use by operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs）and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). The solution will be available from ACCESS worldwide as of June 2010.

As wireless broadband services and the number of smartphone subscribers continue to grow, VoIP for smartphones has been gaining attention globally both among end users and service providers as an essential part of next generation communications. With the introduction of 3.9G mobile technology and its ability to deliver higher quality voice services, VoIP services will accelerate rapidly. According to market research firm In-Stat, by the end of 2013, the total number of mobile VoIP users worldwide is expected to reach 288 million. In-Stat expects mobile VoIP applications to generate annual revenues of $35.2 billion.1

NetFront IP-Phone, which supports air interfaces for 3G and wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) connections and major global standards, provides a standard middleware application as well as an implementation solution service. NetFront IP-Phone is able to communicate with a variety of IP telephony servers, making it possible for ISPs and MVNOs to offer high-quality VoIP services to smartphone users while substantially reducing development time and costs.

Interoperability

The NetFront IP-Phone interface is compliant with 3GPP（Third Generation Partnership Project）, OMA（Open Mobile Alliance） and IETF（Internet Engineering Task Force） industry standards. NetFront IP-Phone is not bundled with specific services, so ISPs and MVNOs can customize it to offer differentiated IP telephony services.

Major smartphone OS support

NetFront IP-Phone was developed based on a single design concept for all three major smartphone operating systems (iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile). The high quality VoIP environment was made possible thanks to two key technologies: NetFront™ IMS Client, which supports a base IMS framework, and a standard user interface developed by ACCESS that delivers a rich user experience. The IMS framework deploys eSound™, high-quality VoIP technology developed by OKI, that enables voice communication over IP networks with realistic voice tones that are far superior to conventional phone quality.

High scalability for unique VoIP services

NetFront IP-Phone is designed with a flexible modular architecture, enabling providers to implement unique VoIP applications and combine VoIP services with other applications. Applications are also available as APIs, allowing operators to customize their own UI.

VoIP trial server

A VoIP trial server for NetFront IP-Phone is available for providers to evaluate the performance of the service, resulting in reduced cost and evaluation time.

"Thanks to the combination of world-class mobile software from ACCESS, high-quality audio technology from Oki Electric Industry and IMS technologies from OKI ACCESS, we have produced full scale VoIP solution for smartphones," said Tomihisa Kamada, president, CEO and co-founder of ACCESS. "We will continue to partner with OKI ACCESS and Oki Electric Industry to create new multimedia communications business opportunities."

"Since the foundation of our company, OKI ACCESS Technologies has focused on developing advanced IMS solutions that create value-added services by integrating OKI's industry-leading information technologies and ACCESS' mobile software technologies. We are confident that NetFront IP-Phone will contribute to the growth of mobile VoIP markets," said Osamu Nakazawa, president of OKI ACCESS Technologies.

"OKI has been driving the innovation of global information and communication technologies that enrich people's lives. We are honored that our VoIP technology has contributed to the development of NetFront IP-Phone. We will continue to pursue our vision of developing advanced technologies that promote the ubiquitous society," said Hidetoshi Saigou, executive officer and general manager of Telecom Systems Business Division at OKI.

ACCESS and OKI ACCESS Technologies plan to launch future versions of NetFront IP-Phone to support additional platforms for smartphones and connected home appliances.

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, Garnet™ OS and ACCESS Linux Platform™, 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/.

About OKI ACCESS Technologies Co., Ltd.

OKI ACCESS was established in November 2005 as a joint venture between Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd, and ACCESS CO., LTD. OKI ACCESS is focused on developing voice and video media products for Next Generation mobile devices. http://www.oki-access.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. 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. OKI ACCESS Technologies' logo is the trademark or registered trademark of OKI ACCESS Technologies Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries. This software contains the engine eSound developed and owned by Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Windows Mobile is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks, logos and trade names mentioned in the document are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE ACCESS CO., LTD.