This should benefit customers in developing countries who are likely to experience the Internet for the first time through a mobile phone, as it allows them to browse the Internet on the go, even on Java low-cost mobile handsets.
“We are confident that the agreement with Opera Software will help to ensure that customers will be able to enjoy an even more fulfilling mobile Internet experience on their handsets,” said Pieter Knook, Vodafone Internet services director.
Opera Mini offers full web-browsing functionality on Java mobile phones, as well as an icon-based display that is easy to personalise. In addition, customers will be able to take advantage of an easy zoom in and out feature, which automatically fits the mobile screen and, on selected handsets, the ability to view video content from popular sites such as YouTube.
According to Opera, web pages are compressed by up to 90% before being sent to the customer's handset, which means that browsing is fast even in areas of relatively low network speeds. As a result, the handset is able to devote more of its resources to giving the user a high-quality browsing experience.
In early trials in Vodafone Egypt, more than 400 000 customers downloaded the product in a month.
As part of the global framework agreement with Opera Software, selected Vodafone operating companies will be able to pre-embed the Vodafone version of the Opera Mini browser on Java-based portfolio handsets or encourage customers to download it themselves.
Download the latest version of Opera Mini from www.opera.com/mini.
