Tokyo, Japan, May 13, 2014 − ACCESS CO., LTD, a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, today announced that ACCESS™ Beacon Framework (ABF), which supports Apple’s iBeacon™ technology, was selected by TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX JAPAN, INC. for online-to-offline (O2O) promotions targeting iOS users running iOS 7. The system will go live May 14 at TOHO Cinemas theater complexes in the Nihonbashi and Roppongi Hills areas of central Tokyo to promote the movie “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” which Fox will release in Japan on Friday, May 30.

This innovative, promotional use of beacons in movie theaters, which will be Japan’s first commercial use of iBeacon technology in large-scale entertainment venues, was achieved by integrating ABF into the TOHO Cinemas Magazine app offered by TOHO Cinemas. Movie theater goers, who download the app (ver. 2.6 or later) with iOS devices, will receive a diverse array of services for enhanced experiences, including automatic video streaming, facility information, digital coupons and online campaigns.

FOX plans to expand the program across Japan by this summer.

“This will be the most technically advanced promotion for X-Men: Days of Future Past, which ACCESS has supported by rapidly introducing comprehensive technologies with flexibility,” said Yoshinari Hirayama, Sales Senior Manager at FOX. “We hope to launch a wide range of innovative ABF-based services in partnership with ACCESS.”

“Taking advantage of the deep penetration of iOS devices in the Japanese market, the launch of these large-scale in-theater iBeacon commercial services are ahead of the global adoption curve for Beacon O2O services,” said Kunihiro Ishiguro, CTO, ACCESS. “iBeacon, an innovative tool for O2O services, will spur the development of new services and markets in myriad scenarios across diverse industries. We look forward to linking this technology with ACCESS’ existing services for smartphone to develop ABF as an increasingly comprehensive solution.”

About ACCESS Beacon Framework (ABF)
The ACCESS Beacon Framework (ABF) is an iBeacon-supported location-aware content-distribution system for one-stop solutions encompassing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-compatible Beacon hardware, smartphone apps and cloud management. In particular, these solutions greatly speed up development and streamline the operation of O2O and other commercial services. ABF is scheduled to support Android from summer 2014. Also, ACCESS will introduce ABF in ex-Japan Asian markets and other regions within the year.
Japan-developed Beacon (case included) features an SoC (system on chip) from Nordic Semiconductor, is Bluetooth certified, and complies with major international wireless standards, including those of Japan, the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) and CE (Communaute Europeenne).

For further details: http://www2.a-beacon.com/ad/beacon/en/whats.html


ACCESS is offering its unique, free and open-source iBeacon library, “ABF Beacon,” to support the expansion of Beacon services. Please visit https://github.com/access-company/ABFBeacon.

About ACCESS
ACCESS CO., LTD. is a global provider of advanced software solutions and services that enable operators, device manufacturers, content owners and consumers to make the most of today’s multi-screen, connected world. It provides software for mobiles, smartphones and tablets, connected TVs and set-top boxes in the connected home, automotive, digital publishing and networking markets. ACCESS solutions have shipped in over one billion devices around the world. Its product portfolio includes the NetFront™ software series, providing customers faster time-to-market, flexibility and customizability; the PUBLUSTM for cloud-based, cross-platform digital publishing and the NetAd mobile advertising platform. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Mothers’ Index, 4813) and operates subsidiaries and affiliates in Asia, Europe and the United States. Learn more about ACCESS at www.access-company.com.

© 2014 ACCESS CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
ACCESS, the ACCESS logo, and NetFront, PUBLUS are registered trademarks or trademarks of ACCESS CO., LTD. in the United States, Japan and/or other countries. iPhone, iPod touch and Passbook are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iBeacon is a trademark of Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries and is used under license. All other trademarks, logos and trade names mentioned in the document are the property of their respective owners.