What Accel Group does

Accel Group (株式会社アクセル / Accel Corporation) is a privately held Japanese telecommunications services company headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, with the primary operating entity Accel Communications Corporation (株式会社アクセルコミュニケーションズ) established in June 2010. Its core product is Message Plus (メッセージプラス), a cloud-hosted internet FAX (IP-FAX) service built on an ASP platform that assigns each subscriber a dedicated 050 IP phone number usable for both FAX send/receive and voicemail. The service is accessible via web browser, PC application (QuickViewer), and native iOS and Android apps, supporting PDF and TIFF document formats with features including real-time mobile notifications, password-protected access, handwriting annotation on received FAX, and integration with physical FAX machines (Fax@adapter) and scanners (ScanToFax, released March 2021).

Revenue is generated primarily through monthly subscriptions at 950-1,045 JPY (~$7-8) per subscriber, with a discounted annual pre-payment plan (10 months for the price of 12) and per-page charges (16 JPY) for FAX transmissions to non-Message Plus numbers. Go-to-market combines a product-led self-serve online sales motion (free trial up to 60 days, mobile-first signup) with a nationwide channel partnership with Iwatsu Tsushinki (岩崎通信機), a legacy Japanese telecom equipment manufacturer, through whose ec site Message Plus has been distributed since March 2013. Target customers are primarily SMBs, SOHO operators, and individual entrepreneurs in Japan who need professional FAX capability without dedicated hardware or telephone lines, with secondary use cases including enterprise after-hours call management and e-commerce order handling.

The broader group includes Accel Solutions Corporation (株式会社アクセルソリューションズ), which operated OnlyCall — a free voice mail and social-media posting service made fully free in February 2012 — and minority-held affiliates SORAシム and ヒトトコLabo. Major business partners include KDDI, NTT World Engineering Marine, CKC Network, and Shinsei Web Service. The company operates from a single Nagoya office (relocated from Tokyo in January 2017), has 30 million JPY in registered capital, no disclosed external funding, and last documented product activity in July 2021.

Name

Accel Group

Legal name

株式会社アクセルコミュニケーションズ (Accel Communications Corporation)

Website

https://accel.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Accel Group is a privately held Japanese cloud communications company operating Message Plus, an internet FAX service that provides subscribers a dedicated 050 IP number for cloud-hosted FAX and voicemail, targeted at SMBs and SOHO businesses across Japan via self-serve and channel partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Communications / Internet Fax Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Signaling, Numbering & Registry Services (SS7/Diameter, ENUM, numbering resources) (HDAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Internet fax service
• Cloud fax platform
• Voicemail messaging service
• Mobile fax applications
• Ip phone services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Message Plus Monthly Subscription: Core revenue from monthly subscription fees for the internet FAX service. Each subscriber pays a fixed monthly fee for access to the 050 number, cloud FAX reception, voicemail, and web management tools. Internal Message Plus FAX transmission is free; external transmission is charged per page.
2. FAX Transmission Fees: Revenue from per-page charges for FAX transmissions to non-Message Plus numbers. At 16 yen per page for external destinations, this usage-based component supplements the fixed monthly subscription.
3. OnlyCall Voice Mail Service: Voice mail and voice posting service. Originally a paid service at 315 yen/month (with 30-day free trial), it was later made completely free (as of February 2012). May serve as a complementary product driving adoption of the core communication platform.
4. Annual Pre-payment Plans: Yearly pre-payment plan offering 12 months of service for the cost of 10 monthly payments, providing a discount incentive for upfront payment and improving revenue predictability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Accel Group operates Message Plus, a multi-functional cloud-based internet FAX service that assigns subscribers a dedicated 050 IP phone number usable for both internet FAX send/receive and voicemail. Documents are stored on the ASP cloud server and accessed via web browser, PC application (QuickViewer), or iOS/Android mobile apps, eliminating the need for a physical FAX machine or dedicated telephone line. The company also offers OnlyCall, a free voicemail and voice posting service.

Product overview

Accel Group operates a unified platform of communication services centered on メッセージプラス (Message Plus), a multi-functional internet FAX service. The core product provides cloud-based FAX and voicemail reception using dedicated 050 IP phone numbers, accessible via web browser, iOS/Android smartphone apps, and PC applications. Supporting products include QuickViewer (PC desktop application), Fax@adapter (hardware adapter for traditional FAX machines), and ScanToFax (scanner integration feature). The subsidiary service OnlyCall offers voice messaging and social media posting capabilities. All services are accessible from the company's main portal at accel.co.jp and dedicated product sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OnlyCall: Voice mail and voice posting service that allows users to send voice messages via phone call. Service is free to use.

Products and services

• Message Plus (メッセージプラス) Multi-functional internet FAX service providing a dedicated 050 IP phone number for receiving FAX and voicemail via the internet. Users send and receive FAX documents through web browser, smartphone apps (iOS/Android), or PC application, with features including free reception, real-time mobile notifications, password-protected security, handwriting annotation, and voicemail management. Targeted at SMB, SOHO, individual entrepreneurs, and micro-businesses in Japan.
• OnlyCall Voice mail and voice posting service that lets users dial a number, record a message, and send it as an email attachment or post to social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, mixi, and Ameba blogs. Now provided free of charge.

Quantifiable outcome

• FAX communication costs reduced to zero for reception (unlimited free) and internal Message Plus-to-Message Plus transmission
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 岩崎通信機株式会社 (Iwatsu Tsushinki Co., Ltd.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 March 2013Accel Communications entered a nationwide sales partnership with Iwatsu Tsushinki, a long-established Japanese telecommunications equipment manufacturer known for telephone systems. Iwatsu Tsushinki resells Message Plus through their ec site (iwatsu-online.jp) and their wider sales network, positioning internet FAX as a complement to their existing hardware products. This partnership expanded reach into Iwatsu's established B2B customer base in the enterprise and SMB segments. Sales through this channel began on March 15, 2013.
• SORAシム株式会社 (Sora Shim Co., Ltd.)minorOthersListed as a related company (関連会社) of Accel Communications Corporation. A joint promotional campaign in 2016 (独立開業応援キャンペーン) combined Message Plus annual plans with Sora Shim's smartphone data plans (@モバイルくん, もっと使ったぶ〜んだけプラン), offering a free smartphone to new subscribers of both services.
• 株式会社ヒトトコLabominorOthersListed as a related company (関連会社) of Accel Communications Corporation.
• KDDI株式会社minorOthersListed as a major client (主要取引先) of Accel Communications Corporation. Nature of the business relationship is client/vendor but specific details are not disclosed.
• CKCネットワーク株式会社minorOthersListed as a major client (主要取引先) of Accel Communications Corporation.
• 新生WEBサービス株式会社minorOthersListed as a major client (主要取引先) of Accel Communications Corporation.
• エヌ・ティ・ティ・ワールドエンジニアリングマリン株式会社 (NTT World Engineering Marine Co., Ltd.)minorOthersListed as a major client (主要取引先) of Accel Communications Corporation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• eFax (Consensus Cloud Solutions): eFax is a global online fax service that lets users send and receive faxes via email or web, similar to Accel Group's Message Plus. Both target SMB and SOHO customers with subscription-based cloud fax offerings. eFax is the largest direct competitor in the online fax space.
• HelloFax: HelloFax (now part of eFax/Consensus) provides online fax services through a web interface, directly comparable to Message Plus. Both companies target SMB and individual users with subscription-based internet fax solutions.
• Biscom: Biscom provides secure fax and document delivery solutions for enterprises, with cloud and on-premise options. Comparable to Accel Group's enterprise-facing capabilities through the Iwatsu Tsushinki partnership.
• MetroFax: MetroFax offers cloud-based internet fax services with mobile and desktop access, similar to Accel Group's Message Plus. Both provide subscription-based online fax with mobile app support and free fax reception.
• MyFax: MyFax provides online fax services with email-to-fax and web-based interfaces, comparable to Message Plus. Both serve SMB and SOHO customers with subscription-based cloud fax solutions.

Broad incumbents

• OpenText (RightFax): OpenText's RightFax is an enterprise fax server solution used by large organizations. Comparable to Accel Group as a fax solution provider, though OpenText targets enterprise customers with on-premise and hybrid deployments.
• KDDI (KDDI Smart Communications): KDDI is a major Japanese telecom operator offering integrated communication services including voice, data, and potentially fax solutions. Comparable to Accel Group as a key Japanese telecommunications player and a listed major client.
• NTT Communications (NTT Docomo): NTT Communications is a major Japanese telecommunications provider offering business communication services. Comparable to Accel Group as a major Japanese telecom player that could provide competing fax solutions, and listed as a major client.
• RingCentral: RingCentral is a leading unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) provider offering voice, video, messaging, and fax. Comparable to Accel Group as a broader communications platform, though RingCentral serves enterprises with significantly larger offerings.

Emerging players

• FAX.PLUS: FAX.PLUS is a cloud-based online fax service with mobile apps and API access, similar to Message Plus. Both offer subscription-based internet fax with multi-device access, though FAX.PLUS operates globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Accel Group