Opera Mini Goes to Korea via SK Telecom

Norwegian software company Opera Software announced on Tuesday that its popular Opera Mini mobile browser would soon become available in Korea via a series of handsets from the Korea-based SK Telecom. According to the company, its software solution is expected to surface on the carrier's devices starting with October 2009.

“Opera’s mission is clear: better browsing, anytime, anywhere. To achieve this, we need partners such as SK Telecom. SK Telecom is a leader in the Korean telecom market, and they focus on breaking new ground and creating more value for their customers,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “By offering Opera Mini on several of their phones, SK Telecom is adding value by giving users a new, interactive service that gets them online, fast.”

The first mobile phone from SK Telecom to come with Opera Mini is the T*Omnia II. Following the initial availability of this phone, the browser will also be included in other smartphones and feature phones from the wireless operator. Opera Mini, as many of you might already know, is the most popular mobile browser around the world, and has a number of around 30 million users, according to Opera's estimations. The solution comes with a compression technology that enables it to provide faster browsing speeds, due to remote compression of data.

“Through the partnership with Opera Software, users can enjoy not only faster mobile Web browsing, but also will be more familiar with many programs that are based on Opera’s technology,” says Joon-Dong Bae, executive vice president and head of the marketing division, SK Telecom. “We believe that all application programs available for PCs should also be available in mobile phones. We have no doubt that the Internet experience will be more prominent through mobiles rather than in PCs in the near future.”

The Opera Mini browser has recently reached version 5.0 beta, and is available for download for Java devices and BlackBerry phones.