ACCESS Announces NetFront™ Browser Ginga Edition for Growing Brazilian Mobile TV Market

Samsung Selects Browser for Its First 1-Seg Interactive Service Handset Models Available in Brazil

BARCELONA — Mobile World Congress — ACCESS CO., LTD. a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, today announced NetFront™ Browser DTV Profile Ginga Edition, a new version of its industry leading browser developed for the Brazilian mobile TV market. The new browser supports the Brazilian standard for digital mobile broadcast TV (ISDB-Tb), which includes Ginga-NCL, the Brazil-specific interactive middleware layer.

In addition, Samsung has selected NetFront Browser DTV Profile Ginga Edition for use with its first two 1-seg interactive service mobile handset models, the Star Lite TV (GT-I6230KLZTO) and StarTV (GT-16220ZRZTO), which are currently available from three of the four major mobile operators in Brazil. Samsung plans to make the browser available to users of these handsets via software download.

The ISDB-Tb standard is based on the Japanese digital TV standard, ISDB, and includes advances in audio and video encoding, higher presentation rates and Ginga-NCL (specified by SBTVD Forum). The middleware layer enables interactive services, while maintaining the hallmark ISDB characteristics of robustness and efficiency. ACCESS leveraged its market leadership and experience developing browser solutions for the ISDB and 1-seg standards in Japan to develop NetFront Browser DTV Profile Ginga Edition. The ISDB-Tb standard has been adopted by 11 of the 12 South American countries including, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and Peru. This broad adoption opens the door to ISDB-Tb 1-seg interactive services throughout most of the continent.

“The mobile TV market continues to rapidly evolve through the convergence of the media, mobile communications, Internet services and consumer electronics industries,” said Mark Beccue, ABI Research. “With an extensive base of mobile phone users and one of the world’s largest TV viewing audiences, Brazil has enormous potential for successful mobile TV deployments. Mobile TV users in the Latin American region will reach 47 million by 2015, with Brazil leading within the region. This will further benefit this partnership between ACCESS and Samsung.”

“ACCESS is recognized as a key technology driver in the global mobile software industry with a proven track record of delivering 1-seg solutions for mobile TV-capable handsets in Japan,” said Yongsung Jang, Vice President of Latin America R&D Group, Samsung. “We have partnered with ACCESS for several years now developing handsets that are compatible with Brazil’s 1-seg interactive services, and we’re pleased to now be able to bring ACCESS’ NetFront Browser to our 1-seg handsets. NetFront Browser will provide our 1-seg handset users with a richer mobile TV experience that includes advanced interactivity and functionality. We look forward to working with ACCESS to help support the growth of 1-seg services in Brazil.”

Driving the continued success of the NetFront Browser is the ability of the browser to be customized for a wide range of specialized handsets designed to address the specific interests and needs of users and service providers on a global scale.

“We have been working closely with Samsung since 2008 to develop products that support the Brazilian SBTVD 1-seg standard, and in 2010, our two companies jointly developed prototypes for trials broadcasting the 2010 Soccer World Cup,” said Tomihisa Kamada, president and CEO, ACCESS. “We are delighted that Samsung has selected NetFront Browser for their 1-seg handsets to provide Brazilian mobile phone users with an enhanced, interactive mobile TV experience. We will continue helping global handset manufacturers to develop and provide advanced handsets for Brazil’s 1-seg mobile TV services, and we are committed to promoting 1-seg services throughout South America.”

Brazil will host future international events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, which are expected to further accelerate the country’s economic growth. ACCESS will continuously focus on expanding its business in Brazil.

ACCESS’ NetFront Browser DTV Profile Ginga Edition will be demonstrated in ACCESS’ booth (CY23, Hall 3) at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain, from today until February 17th.