FluxNetwork and Hitachi announce partnership and commercial licensing agreement to deliver advanced rich media content synchronization software for handheld devices as part of NTT wireless hotspot business at Tokyo-area train stations. 

SANTA CRUZ, California and TOKYO, Japan, August 5th, 2002 - FluxNetwork, a leading provider of rich media client-server solutions for handheld devices, today announced a business partnership and commercial licensing agreement with Hitachi, Ltd., providing its flagship software product, the FluxShow Platform™ as part of the recently announced NTT wireless "hotspot" network, with initial rollout at greater Tokyo-area train stations (www.ntt-bp.net/pc/).

The "Advansyncro" (www.advansyncro.jp) service, launched by the Hitachi NetPDA Division, allows commuters with wireless-enabled PDA's to rapidly receive a variety of rich media content at train stations prior to embarkation, by using NTT's recently rolled-out 802.11 (Wi-Fi) network of hotspots. A customized selection of content is "synced" (i.e. downloaded) onto the PDA within seconds as users wait for their train, so that once the commuter has boarded, a wide range of content including video clips, Flash animations, news stories, and MP3 music files, is instantly available for viewing. 

FluxShow Platform™, a client-server platform for delivering rich media content to mobile and wireless devices, is the software that powers Hitachi's Advansyncro service, which is designed to enable consumers to access content, broadband voice and data wirelessly from access 'portals' located at a variety of convenient locations such as stores, fast food chains, and eventually, at offices, schools and homes. 

In addition to Hitachi and NTT, leading companies participating in the joint effort include NEC CustoMax Ltd., Fuji Xerox Ltd., Oki Electric Industry Co., Compaq Computer Co., am/pm Japan Co., Ltd., Tobu Railway Co., Sagami Railway Co., Toppan Printing Co., Ilinx, Inc., among others. 

"We are excited to work with FluxNetwork as partner and supplier of the underlying software solution for the revolutionary Advansyncro service," said Tatsuro Arai, Executive Officer of Hitachi-NetPDA. "After conducting extensive research and evaluation of available options, we found FluxNetwork's FluxShow Platform™ to be the most mature, feature rich, and robust solution for our needs."

"We believe Hitachi-NetPDA's 'Advansyncro' service has created an exciting and innovative new concept that is uniquely positioned to leverage handheld device adoption and NTT's rollout of Wi-Fi hotspots," added Kurt Thywissen, CEO of FluxNetwork. "We are confident that our ground-breaking solution, integrated into the cutting-edge technology provided by a team of industry leaders such as Hitachi, will revolutionize the emerging space of wireless content delivery for consumer audiences. We look forward to seeing more commuters enjoying rich media content delivered to them with the help of our application." 

The FluxShow Platform™ is a complete, end-to-end client-server software suite that enables robust delivery of rich media content to mobile and wireless devices. The client-side consists of a content viewing, navigating, and organizing application that brings together the latest elements of a media player and browser, and robust content "sync" engine, all of which are integrated into an easy to use seamless end-user experience. Important to Asian markets, HTML Unicode content is fully supported throughout theapplication, along with Windows Media, Flash, MP3, and MPEG video. The server side features a comprehensive suite of components that handle end-user account management and individual preferences, content directory "channel" management, and content publishing tools. Both client and server tools are "skinable" and the server components include a SOAP-based API, allowing extensibility and seamless integration with legacy IT systems. The FluxShow Platform is currently available for PocketPC, WinCE, and Windows 2000 Server Edition.

To learn more about the Hitachi's Advansyncro service its implementation of the FluxShow Platform™, visit www.fluxnetwork.com and www.advansyncro.jp for interactive demos.

About FluxNetwork
FluxNetwork is a leading provider of mobile and wireless software solutions that manage the delivery of content to captive consumer audiences, such as commuter environments, theme parks, trade-shows, museums, restaurants, hotels, resorts, festivals, and sporting events, as well as enterprise applications that include mobile CRM, training, and field engineer support applications. FluxNetwork has successfully deployed solutions at a number of venues, with latest implementations including the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and 2002 Winter Olympics. Founded in early 2000, FluxNetwork is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. For more information about FluxNetwork and the FluxShow Platform™, visit www.fluxnetwork.com.

About Hitachi, LTD.
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2001 (ended March 31, 2002) consolidated sales totaled 7,994 billion yen ($60.1 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's Web site at http://global.hitachi.com.


Contact Information:
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Tel: 408.334.4081