ACCESS to Support WAP 2.0 in Next-Generation NetFront Browser; Popular i-mode Browser Vendor Shows Comprehensive Support for WorldWide Wireless Standards.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

TOKYO, MILPITAS, Calif. & OBERHAUSEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sept. 12, 2001

ACCESS Co., Ltd., the leading provider of microbrowsers for i-mode(TM) phones, announced that it will support the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) version 2.0 in its next-generation embedded Internet browser, NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile. In addition to the standard WAP 2.0 specification, ACCESS will support enhanced features such as Dynamic HTML, ECMA Script (JavaScript), and SSL. ACCESS' Internet browsers have been installed in over 35 million devices, including cellular phones, televisions, set-top boxes, game consoles, PDAs, and car navigation systems.

As an editor of the WML2 (Wireless Markup Language version 2) specification used in WAP 2.0, ACCESS believes that this new version of WAP is a major step forward in the effort to provide portable device users with a significantly improved Internet experience. Personalized Web pages will be easier to create and users will be able to take advantage of new features available with next-generation higher speed wireless networks. WML2 is based on XHTML Basic as defined by the W3C (WWW Consortium). ACCESS also was co-editor of the XHTML Basic standard. Since 1995, ACCESS has actively supported worldwide Internet standards, including HTTP, SSL, and TCP/IP. In addition, ACCESS can already provide IPv6/IPv4 dual wireless TCP/IP stack and J2ME CLDC /MIDP-based Java solutions.

"We believe that NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile, with its comprehensive support for worldwide wireless standards including the new WAP 2.0 specification, will provide end-users with the best Internet browsing experience possible on mobile devices. The first version of WML made Web posting much too difficult for most people and even many companies, discouraging people from engaging fully in the experience. WML 2.0 allows Web pages to be much easier for the average person to create, which will encourage more developers to write applications and more people to create and share their own sites," stated Dr. Tomihisa Kamada, executive vice president and CTO of ACCESS.

ACCESS' Next-Generation NetFront v3.0 Browser

NetFront v3.0, ACCESS' next-generation microbrowser, is a modular, scalable browser designed from the ground up to meet the unique requirements of resource constrained consumer information appliances. NetFront v3.0's modular architecture allows for custom configurations for specific target hardware. This unique scalability allows NetFront to cover a broad range of appliance profiles from mobile phones to Digital TVs.

NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile is the successor to Compact NetFront and Compact NetFront Plus, the most popular i-mode browser in the world. NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile provides support for the most important standards for mobile phone Internet access: WML 2.0, which is based on XHTML Basic as well as ensuring backward compatibility with WML 1.x used in legacy WAP phones; and Compact HTML or iHTML used in i-mode phones. NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile provides native support for these standards so mobile phones can seamlessly display content in any of these formats. In addition, NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile also provides a WAP1.x legacy stack option to give a clear transition path to 3G (Third Generation) wireless Internet services while maintaining investments in today's services.

The full specification for NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile provides support for the following standards: full HTML 4.01, XHTML Basic, CHTML (iHTML), WML 2.0, CSS1, CSS2, CSS Mobile Profile, HTTP and Wireless TCP/IP (WAP 2.0 Stack), GIF/Animation GIF, JPEG, WBMP, PNG, Dynamic HTML, ECMA Script (JavaScript 1.5), and SSL v3.0/TLS 1.0 (with 128-bit encryption). Support for WAP 1.x legacy stack and MMS Client are optional.

NetFront v3.0 Wireless Profile will be available in the first quarter of 2002.

About ACCESS

ACCESS Co. Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 4813) is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with ACCESS Systems America, its U.S. subsidiary, in Milpitas, Calif., and ACCESS Systems Europe, its European subsidiary, in Oberhausen, Germany. ACCESS, which went public on Mothers, Tokyo Stock Exchange on February 26, 2001, is a leading provider of innovative embedded software solutions for Internet appliances. The company's embedded browser software powers over 120 different commercial products including televisions, set top boxes, game consoles, PDAs, word processing machines, car navigation systems, Web phones, kiosk terminals and intranet terminals. ACCESS' Compact NetFront micro browser software is most widely deployed in phones for NTT DoCoMo's i-mode. Over 35 million commercial software licenses have been shipped from more than 40 major consumer appliance manufacturers. More information is available at http://www.access-us-inc.com and http://www.access.co.jp.

This press release is not an offer of any securities of ACCESS Co., Ltd. for sale in the United States. Such securities have not been registered in the United States under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent such registration or an exemption there from.

NetFront, Compact NetFront, JV-Lite, AVE, and AVE-TCP are registered trademarks owned by ACCESS Co., Ltd. in Japan. Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. NetFront is a registered trademark of NetFront Communications, Inc. in the United States and is used under a license. i-mode is a trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. W@P Certified, W@P, and the WAP Forum marks are worldwide trademarks or registered trademarks of the Wireless Application Protocol Forum Ltd. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.