Opera And Microsoft Sign Licensing Agreement

Opera Software recently announced that they and Microsoft have come together to sign a contract so that Opera Mini will arrive as the default pre-installed Internet browser where Nokia’s feature phones are concerned. In other words, the current Xpress Internet browser, which has been developed in-house by Nokia, and sees action on the Nokia Series 30+, 40, and Asha models, will eventually be a thing of the past. Existing users of such feature phones are encouraged to perform the update, and owners of new devices need not lift a finger since those handsets will arrive with Opera pre-installed, reading to go right out of the box.

It seems that Opera Software is extremely pleased with this particular arrangement, which is something that they have been on the lookout for for more than a decade. It is touted that this agreement will prove to be profitable for Opera right from the very beginning, and this optimism was reflected in a 6.5% increase in Opera’s shares on the day of signing. In fact, Opera Software also did not do too badly in their Q2 report, showing a growth of up to $27 million in earnings, which is $2.3 million ahead of analysts’ predictions.

Apart from that, Opera Mini has the technical background and ability to be touted as one of the best browsers where feature phones are concerned, since it can compress data up to 90%, before streaming it to the user, helping users save more money in the long run when it comes to checking out the Internet on a feature phone. [Press Release]

Edwin Kee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Microsoft, opera