September 19, 2007 (Tokyo, Japan)—Acrodea, Inc. (CEO and President: Junya Tsutsumi), headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Synergymedia, Inc. (CEO and President: Shoichi Sato), headquartered in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Soliton Systems, K.K. (CEO and President: Nobuo Kamata), headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; and Future Mobile Co., Ltd. (CEO and President: Maki Kinoshita), headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo announced the formation of a four-way business alliance for joint development of mobile FeliCa-compatible services.
Cards and mobile telephones installed with FeliCa (contactless IC) technology are gaining usage as a format to transact public transit fares, retail membership and loyalty point cards, discount coupons, and payment for charges. The format is developing into a service aligned closely to consumer living.
The four companies have developed an integrated system and service architecture through the combination of the following: Soliton AmiTouch-01 broadband router that connects to reader-writer devices compatible with FeliCa cards and enables easy introduction of a server system via Internet; Synergymedia Solution, a system that distinguishes unique FeliCa chip ID numbers; and VIVID Touch, jointly developed by Acrodea and Future Mobile. The combined technologies are compatible with mobile FeliCa, yet require no encryption key to furnish highly opportune data services in real time, for both the retailer and the customer.
The integrated offering is ready for the immediate design of mobile FeliCa-compatible applications by employing the middleware for distinguishing unique FeliCa chip IDs and VIVID Touch SDK, while Soliton AmiTouch-01 and Synergymedia Solution provide the system for online linking of a FeliCa reader-writer device located at a retail storefront or connected to either a amusement unit or medical appliance, for instance. Thus, numerous appliances and devices occupying a position in daily living can link to mobile FeliCa and introduce new services with ease. By employing the shared ID server of VIVID Touch, service providers and users can mutually access information services that pave the way for an unprecedented avenue of sophisticated, real-time linked services.
Jointly developed by Acrodea and Future Mobile, VIVID Touch SDK is a development kit that can deliver appealing services via mobile FeliCa between mobile telephone terminals and, for instance, on-premise amusement units by communicating data transfers and database linking. The interface, therefore, enables data from an on-premise amusement game to be stored on a mobile phone, or to be transferred from a mobile phone to an on-premise amusement game, with a single sensor interaction. Compatibility with mobile Felica OS Version 2.0 allows greater data communication volume. A customized application layer (API and data structure) to match the service content of the amusement unit will be concurrently provided to enable the immediate architecting of proprietary applications. In addition to amusement equipment, the application layer provided is expected to have a broad domain, which will include medical appliances and POS systems.
Jointly developed by Soliton Systems and Synergymedia, Soliton AmiTouch-01 is a broadband router with FeliCa connectivity. Connecting a FeliCa reader-writer device to AmiTouch engages a system for obtaining user data and location data securely and easily.
Synergymedia Solution provides a service mechanism in which a FeliCa reader reads the ID number assigned to a particular card and relays the data bi-directionally over a network without imposing a load to the existing system. A highly convenient one-to-one marketing service is possible with casual participation. Depending on the time and place of FeliCa interaction, for example, by engaging with a card reader attached to a poster prior to a store visit, users can have a coupon issued at the retailer anonymously and without advanced registration.
Acrodea, Inc., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a software technology R&D firm involved in middleware technology for mobile terminals. The company is particularly focused on interface technologies connecting between the user and terminal, and currently provides UI (user interface) technologies and email enhancement technologies to the market. We are also applying R&D energy towards the enhancement of graphics performance, which is indispensable in facilitating usage of mobile platform interfaces. Our stance and efforts are a continual commitment to superior products and improving technology, for which we have received recognition worldwide. In addition to Japan and Korea, Acrodea is engaged in business on the global market, including China, Europe, and North America. The company listed publicly on Mothers Exchange of TSE on Oct. 19, 2006, just two years and three months after establishment in July 2004.
Acrodea is headquartered in Tokyo, and maintains an overseas presence in Seoul, Korea; Espoo, Finland; and Newport Beach, California, U.S.A.
For more information, please visit http://www.acrodea.co.jp.
The first corporate venture awarded a technology transfer from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology under the Venture Technology Transfer Promotion Program, Synergymedia intends to develop services and solutions for new marketing and communications utilizing IC cards, which are expected to grow heavily in penetration. The alliance on this occasion enables development to encompass FeliCa-compatible mobile telephones, along with the smart IC cards. Synergymedia was established in March 2005, and is headquartered in Tokyo.
For more information, please visit http://www.synergymedia.co.jp/.
As the first company in Japan to engage in LAN and network OS, Soliton Systems has served as a pioneer in the industry. The company has worked on large-scale networks for many years, and maintains a track record for development of network OS and protocol software. In recent years, focus areas have included development of security products concerning authentication, and architecture and operation of broadband video delivery systems. Soliton Systems was established in 1979, and is headquartered in Tokyo.
For more information, please visit http://www.soliton.co.jp/.
Aiming for the introduction of new services with mobile technology at the core, Future Mobile is broadly engaged in the planning and development of mobile services, the proposition and architecture of mobile solutions, the development of applications using the latest technology, and the distribution of packaged software products. The company is also involved in the research and development of new business models for MVNO and MVNE business operations. Future Mobile was established in February 2007, and is headquartered in Tokyo.
For more information, please visit http://www.f-mobile.co.jp/.
Marketing at Acrodea, Inc.
TEL: +81 3–5768–8603
Sales Group at Synergymedia, Inc.
TEL: +81 3–6231–3132
Broadband Division at Soliton Systems, K.K.
TEL: +81 3–5360–3860
Marketing at Future Mobile Co., Ltd.
TEL: +81 3–3296–8710
