Paris, France and Oslo, Norway – February 15, 2005
France Telecom and Orange are joining Opera Software in an effort to provide mobile users with the best possible use of the Internet and Web technologies on handsets. The two companies’ Research and Development departments are busy defining the future of mobile browsing and the added advantages it can bring in terms of offering users exciting mobile data services easily accessible on their handset’s homescreen.
The R&D department of France Telecom and Orange has seized upon Opera’s Platform offering. The Opera Platform concept replaces the current idle homescreen on handsets with an operator branded user interface based on Opera’s standards-based Web technology. The most profitable operator services and local applications are integrated directly into the idle screen of the phone, placing value-added operator services closer to the end user. By using Web technology, users are provided with a mobile experience with limitless customization options for services easily developed by the existing Web developer community.
“Opera’s idea of using Web technologies to develop a better, more uniform user interface and portfolio of services across our product line is very much complementary to our own approach,” says Eric Dufresne, CEO, France Telecom / Orange R&D, Boston. “Opera’s standards-based approach will make us able to offer users a far better end-user experience across multiple platforms, and at the same time,increasing data usage. This will be a real revenue booster that takes advantage of our investment in high-capacity networks.”
The Opera Platform differs from existing and competing solutions in that it is completely based on open Web standards. As such, creating content and services is just as easy as making a normal Web page. Opera Mobile is the only true mobile browser to support both full Web browsing together with existing operator services based on the WAP2 protocol.
“Today Orange is clearly demonstrating its lead in bringing customers exciting content and services leveraged by the creative imagination of the existing Web community. The Opera Platform opens up possibilities for the entire Internet’s content developer community to bring innovative and exciting services to millions of mobile users. That’s the beauty of using open standards,” says Rolf Assev, Executive VP Business Development, Marketing, and Strategic Alliances. “Orange is the first operator to step away from the existing world of proprietary solutions that offer less dynamic user experiences with smaller development communities.”
Contact:
Opera Software
Michelle Valdivia
Marketing Communications Manager, Americas
E-mail: press04@opera.com
Office: +1 786 312 1717
Mobile: +1 786 208 6072