Opera software to be pre-installed in Chinese mobile handsets

Telecomworldwire, June 9, 2008

TELECOMWORLDWIRE-9 June 2008-Opera software to be pre-installed in Chinese mobile handsets(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com

Opera software (OMX:OPERA), the developer of the Opera Web browser, have announced that Haier, a handset manufacturer in China, will be pre-installing the Opera Mini browser on three new handsets, the N81, N82 and N86.

Opera will also come pre-installed on the TCL A800, another well-known brand in China, and TCL and Haier join other service providers and manufacturers such as Kongzhong, Sony Ericsson and ZTE in making this decision.

In excess of 50% of people browsing the web using mobile devices come from outside the US and Europe. The rising demand for full web browsing from mobile devices is clearly highlighted by the fact that China has rapidly risen to being one of the six top countries in the world for mobile web browsing. Opera Software claim their user base in China has grown by 700% since January 2007, with the China Internet Network Information Center reporting that the number of Chinese people who access the internet through their mobile phone rose from 17 million at the end of last year to 44 million in the first half of this year.

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