Press Releases

ACCESS Acquires NetRange MMH GmbH to Create Next-Gen Connected In-Car and Home Entertainment Solutions

Tokyo, Japan, 16 April 2019 − ACCESS Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of ACCESS CO., LTD., a global provider of advanced IT solutions centered around mobile and network software technologies, today announced that it has acquired NetRange MMH GmbH (‘NetRange’), the global provider of white labeled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems including OS.CAR, the new connected car infotainment platform. NetRange became a wholly-owned subsidiary of ACCESS Europe GmbH as of April 15th, 2019.

The acquisition comes at a time when the convergence between the automotive and media industries is gathering pace. In-car connectivity is enabling new use cases inside vehicles, while the breadth of connected entertainment solutions available to consumers has reached an all-time high, spanning video, digital radio, eBooks, podcasts, video games and more. Building on this momentum, the acquisition of NetRange by ACCESS Europe GmbH guarantees that the company’s customers will be able to deploy best-in-class solutions spanning the entire connected entertainment portfolio inside the home, on the go and in connected vehicles worldwide. The acquisition will also bring together both companies’ products and solutions, including ACCESS Twine™ for Car and NetRange’s OS.CAR.

“The synergy between ACCESS and NetRange reflects the evolution of the automotive and media & entertainment industries. Both provide innovative, high quality services to consumers worldwide and support new use cases that are transforming our customers’ consumer offerings. The combination of ACCESS and NetRange solutions will enable automotive manufacturers to offer varied in-car infotainment solutions that adjust to the needs of drivers and passengers, while supporting new business models for traditional car companies and for the growing electric, hybrid and autonomous driving industry. Through this acquisition, ACCESS shows once again its ability to invest in creative technologies that respond to a strong future market need,” said Dr. Neale Foster, CEO at ACCESS Europe GmbH.

“From its inception in the early days of Smart TVs, NetRange has always prided itself on being a pioneer. This vision is echoed by ACCESS’ journey. We are looking forward to be part of the team to design solutions that meet consumer demand today and tomorrow,” added Jan Wendt, Founder of NetRange.

ACCESS’ solutions have been shipped in 1.5 billion devices worldwide, including cars, smartphones, tablets, game consoles and more. ACCESS works with Tier 1s, studios, broadcasters, content rights owners, consultants, the legal profession, licensing and collecting societies, Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology and infrastructure providers to help make the next generation of compelling in-car services a reality.

About ACCESS
Since 1984, ACCESS CO., LTD. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Index, 4813) has provided advanced IT solutions centered around mobile and network software technologies to telecom carriers, consumer electronics manufacturers, broadcasting and publishing companies, the automotive industry and energy infrastructure providers around the world. The company develops mobile software solutions that have been installed on over 1.5 billion devices, and network software solutions that have been used by over 300 telecommunication equipment manufacturers. Utilizing its network virtualization technology skills and knowledge, the company is currently focusing on the development and commercialization of Internet of Things (IoT) and media solutions that combine embedded and cloud technology. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the company operates subsidiaries and affiliates in Asia, Europe and the United States to support and expand its business globally. Learn more about ACCESS at www.access-company.com.

About NetRange
As one of the pioneers of Smart TV, NetRange is the global provider of white labeled, turnkey Smart TV and OTT ecosystems including OS.CAR, the new connected car infotainment platform.

NetRange is operating an integrated, full-service solution which includes UI design, payment, billing and customer management, content aggregation, backend services including global CDN, second level support and app development for more than 100 global CE, TV, STB, retailer and operator brands, such as Vodafone, Grundig, Arcelik, TCL, Skyworth, Sharp, Loewe, Changhong, Ikea, MSH, Thomson or HD+. Its fully featured content portfolio includes local and global premium VoDs, linear TV channels via IP, cloud games, live sports, music and lifestyle apps. On its white-labeled Smart TV app store, NetRange makes media content available for TV users in over 100 countries around the world. In 2016 NetRange has launched OS.CAR, the new connected car infotainment platform. Recently, NetRange has released VISNOS, the new client based Smart TV OS. With VISNOS, NetRange enables a full Smart TV experience on low end / low CPU powered DTV/ATVs without the integration of a browser and significantly reduces BOM costs.

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ACCESS, the ACCESS logo, and NetFront are registered trademarks or trademarks of ACCESS CO., LTD. in the United States, Japan and/or other countries. All other trademarks, logos and trade names mentioned in the document are the property of their respective owners.