Access's NetFront claims top mobile browser spot

Access has announced that its NetFront browser is the most widely-deployed mobile internet browser in the United States and the top five European markets.

The company announced the achievement on Wednesday, citing figures from the marketing research firm comScore.

Users of the browser are unlikely to be aware that they are using NetFront, as the product tends to be rebadged and used in low-to-mid-end handsets rather than smartphones.

ComScore's research has, however, revealed that NetFront is deployed in 27 percent of all handset models currently available in the US. In the top five European markets - the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain - the browser is included in 30 percent of all currently available mobile phones.

According to Access, worldwide deployments of NetFront technologies "surpassed 732 million in January 2009, representing over 1710 different device models".

Manufacturers that use NetFront in their mobile phones include Sony Ericsson and Samsung, while Access also has deals with operators such as T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone.

Access is also the company that bought PalmSource and the old Palm OS - subsequently renamed Garnet - in 2005. The firm is currently working on its Garnet-based Access Linux Platform, which has thus far failed to find any takers in the handset manufacturing industry. The inclusion of Access Linux Platform mini - a cut-down version of the open source platform - in a portable navigation device was however announced earlier this month.