The functionality gap between mobile and desktop web browsers is getting thinner by the day, and Opera has played a significant role in making mobile web browsing an interesting experience.
In the last few months Opera has rolled out updated versions of Opera Mini and Opera Mobile web browsers for a majority of mobile platforms such as Android, iOS and Java.
These updated versions are available for download from Apple Store, Android Market, Ovi Store and other distribution platforms.
Sunil Kamath, sales director for India and SAARC at Opera Software, said, “We are seeing growing interest among smartphone users to download Opera Mini due to its easy to use interface and high speed browsing capabilities.”
In the past few years, a wide range of handset providers have been entering the market with attractive features at affordable prices, which has propelled the growth in the handset market and also in the number of mobile internet users.
To add to that, Indian telecom operators have consistently incentivised users to log on to the mobile web. This they have done by reducing data tariffs, which has resulted in the number of data users growing month on month.
“Statistics indicate that 100 million people have internet access, which equals 8.5 per cent penetration in India and through Opera Mini and Opera Mobile it is our endeavour that those people who are now without internet access can get there with their mobile phones,” said Kamath.
On the usage pattern, he said, “Our research shows that social networking and search continue to dominate the charts. We are observing significant data traffic and application downloads on our Opera Mobile Store available as a speed dial on Opera Mini.”
Mobile browsers are indeed a competitive market and Opera wants to stay ahead of its competitors. The company has provided solutions that operators are looking for: the same Browser UI across different platforms and mobile devices and the compression technology that allows more people getting online to enjoy fast internet browsing, without consuming too much bandwidth.