Oslo, Norway – May 13, 2008
Opera today made Yandex the default search engine on Opera’s mobile Web browsersfor customers in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).Effective immediately, anyone using Opera Mini in Russia and the CIS can accessRussia’s most popular Internet search service directly from the start page ofthe browser. Opera Mini is freely available from www.operamini.com.
Opera Mobile service will be available shortly. Opera Mini and Opera Mobileusers in Russia and the CIS will be able to effortlessly find the informationthey want wherever they are.
“Opera Mini is the most popular mobile Web browser in the world and Yandexis the most popular search engine in Russia. Together, they are uniquelypositioned to bring users closer to the content they want, at speeds comparableto the PC experience,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. “Operatoday offers Yandex search as the default search engine in the Opera Speed Dialon Opera desktop browser, which is the second-most popular desktop browser inRussia. We hope to take this partnership to new heights and empower people withthe best Internet experience there is”.
“Both Yandex and Opera are committed to delivering the speed, security andrelevance required to ensure the best search experience for mobile Web users inthe region.” says Max Kiselev, Business Development Director, Yandex.”Search is now customized for the Russian-speaking population andavailable anywhere, anytime.”
Opera’s mobile Web portfolio
Opera’s two mobile products, Opera Mini and Opera Mobile, set the standard formobile Web browsing on both feature phones and smartphones.
More than 44 million cumulative users have discovered how Opera Mini canrevolutionize their mobile Web experience. Not only does Opera Mini deliver theWeb to your phone faster, it also displays the page just as it looks in yourdesktop browser. Opera Zoom function dives into the content for easy readingand interaction. Opera Mini now also includes Opera Link, a free service thatsynchronizes your bookmarks and Speed Dial between all your Web browsers.
In 2007, underscoring the strong demand for the company’s embedded browsersolution, 122 handsets were announced with Opera Mobile (63) and Opera Mini(59) pre-installed. The mobile users in Russia have welcomed Opera Mini as themost favorite solution for browsing Internet on mobile devices, making Russiathe largest market for Opera Mini.
Opera Mobile has been repeatedly selected by leading carriers and manufacturersthat want to deliver the best Web experience to their customers. Opera Mobilehas shipped on more than 100 million mobile phones to date.
Availability
Opera Mini is freely available from www.operamini.com. Opera Mobile willbe available shortly from www.opera.com in a free trial on selectedplatforms. Yandex will appear as the default search engine in Opera’smobile Web browsers in Russia and the CIS.
About Yandex
Yandex is a leading Internet portal in Russia, offering Internet search,targeted advertising solutions and other key services for Russian speakingaudiences worldwide. Yandex’s daily audience is over 7 million uniquevisitors and continues to grow. Approximately 54% of all Internet searches inRussia are conducted on Yandex.ru. Since its founding, Yandex’s goal hasbeen to provide world class Internet services created for Russian speakersworldwide.