Press Releases

ACCESS and CABOT COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED Announce Platform-Independent HbbTV Plug-In Package

Package provides OEMs, middleware companies and operators with a robust, upgradable and fast-to-market HbbTV solution

Tokyo, Japan, – April 28, 2010 – ACCESS CO., LTD., a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, and CABOT COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, a market leader in providing tailored DVB middleware solutions for the digital TV industry, today announced that they have jointly developed an HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) solution that can be plugged into any digital TV or set-top box platform.

The plug-in solution is built on the seamless combination of components provided by both companies. While Cabot Communications brings the HbbTV middleware implementation and DVB components such as a DSM-CC client, ACCESS provides its NetFront^™ Browser enhanced to support HbbTV.

The package gives OEMs, middleware companies and operators the ability to enrich their existing devices and solutions easily with a seamless hybrid of broadcast and broadband content. The plug-in approach ensures a smooth HbbTV-compliant upgrade path. Based on existing, proven components from companies with longstanding experience in the digital TV market, the HbbTV plug-in package combines stability and flexibility with optimized development and can work in synergy with other ACCESS solutions for the connected digital TV market, such as ACCESS NetFront^™ Living Connect — a DLNA-certified software solution to manage home networks integrating multimedia appliances such as digital TVs, digital cameras, HDD recorders and more.

Designed to be platform-independent, the joint ACCESS-Cabot HbbTV package is already available on a first reference platform, Linux^® with Direct FB (Direct Frame Buffer), the architecture of choice for OEMs seeking to shorten their time-to-market.

HbbTV is a major pan-European initiative aimed at harmonizing the broadcast and broadband delivery of news, information and entertainment to consumers through connected TVs and set-top boxes. ACCESS and Cabot both announced earlier this year that they have become full supporters of the HbbTV initiative.

“This joint development with Cabot Communications is another sign of our commitment to advance the connected digital TV market,” said Tomihisa Kamada, president, CEO and co-founder of ACCESS CO., LTD. “With a robust, platform-independent plug-in solution that can evolve with HbbTV future developments, we offer OEMs a way to differentiate their products faster, while protecting their investment.”

Bob Lamb, Managing Director of Cabot Communications commented, “Cabot is delighted to be collaborating with ACCESS and we envisage that this will be the first in a number of exciting joint developments targeted at addressing the connected home market. The combination of our core competencies has enabled Cabot and ACCESS the ability to offer manufacturers a complete HbbTV solution for a wide range of digital TV products.”

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 www.access-company.com.

About Cabot Communications
Founded in 1993, Cabot Communications was one of the forerunners of the digital TV revolution. Cabot helped to develop some of the industry’s pioneering solutions for interactive services, content creation and delivery. Since that time, Cabot has been fully committed to delivering competitive advantage to digital device manufacturers through the continuous development of market-leading DVB middleware. Cabot’s extensive resources are dedicated to ensuring that Cabot products are at the forefront of the industry, taking full advantage of the latest technology and enabling manufacturers to provide consumers with cutting-edge functionality and the richest user experience. For further information visit our web site at www.cabot.co.uk.

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© 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. DLNA is a registered trademark of the Digital Living Network Alliance. Digital Living Network Alliance is a service mark of the Digital Living Network Alliance. All copyrights, trademarks, logos and trade names mentioned in the document are the property of their respective owners.