Access Co. Ltd. has recently launched a new logo, brand identity, and website said to “integrate, update, and expand” content previously available at its main website and that of wholly owned subsidiary PalmSource. Additionally, PalmSource has started the process of changing its name to “Access,” the Japan-based company says.

Access acquired PalmSource just over a year ago, outbidding Palm and Motorola, among others. Since then, Access and PalmSource have collaborated on a Linux stack for mobile phones, dubbed Access Linux Platform (ALP).

At the same time, PalmSource has continued to shepherd the large community of users developing applications for its proprietary Palm OS, Access says. About 40 million mobile phones, handhelds, and other mobile devices run PalmSource software, according to Access.

Access, for its part, continues to market its portfolio of mobile phone applications, which includes the popular NetFront browser. Netfront recently surpassed 279 million global deployments, Access reports, on devices that include phones, PDAs, TVs, gaming consoles, and automotive telematics systems.

New Logo and Website

Access says the four spheres emanating from its new logo symbolize the technologies, products, industries, and business models that it “generates, incubates, and releases to the world.” The logo also incorporates shades of blue associated with both Access and PalmSource.

The new integrated website features a streamlined interface, and support for five languages, including English, Japanese, French, German, and Spanish. The site can be found here.

“Access Day”

The new branding and website were unveiled on Oct. 12 by CEO Toru Arakawa, at the company's annual “Access Day” event in Tokyo. Arakawa said, “Our new logo has been designed to symbolize the transformation of Access as it evolves into a truly global company dedicated to providing innovative products and technology.”

Access Day also featured a presentation from Access CTO Dr. Tomihisa Kamada, who focused on “how the rapid growth in the volume of software used in mobile phones, digital televisions, and other digital home appliances is prompting a shift toward [a more] horizontal division of work” — a shift accelerated by the ecosystem of software platforms and third-party products, Access says.

Dr. Kamada also spoke about the company's latest technologies and future developments, which reportedly include DLNA and Data Sync software aimed at connecting mobile devices with digital home environments.

Additional Access Day events included an executive round table, and a presentation from Professor Jiro Kokuryo, of Keio University, entitled “Emergence: can it be induced, managed, and used?” And, the event featured an exhibits area featuring about 30 companies, including Adobe, Freescale, Fuji Soft, Google, Intel, Mentor Graphics Japan, NEC, Nippon Ericsson, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments Japan, and Toshiba semiconductor.

Access keeps 29 offices, including locations in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.