Vodafone Ghana and Opera Software have announced a tailored version of the Opera Mini web browser which is now available to Vodafone subscribers. This forms part of a global partnership between Vodafone and Opera, with Ghana the most recent country to launch a co-branded Opera Mini.
Opera Mini is a highly customizable mobile web browser that is compatible with more than 3,000 different makes of handsets. Operators, like Vodafone, can build their own user web experience with a co-branded Opera Mini solution, giving consumers a consistent experience, look and feel relevant to their market and operator of choice. Opera Mini reduces the data delivered to any handset by up to 90%. For cost-conscious consumers, this means they can access the web more often, for the same price.The deal will give Ghanaians one-click web access via Speed Dial shortcuts and Smart Page notifications from their favorite Vodafone portals, news and social-networking sites.
Vodafone Ghana holds around 8% of the total number of mobile subscribers in the country, and it believes this partnership will enhance access to the mobile web within the country, where many people are without computers, but where mobile-phone penetration is nearly 100%. Vodafone is working hard to provide internet everywhere and has a highly sophisticated 3G network across most of the country.
The days of mobile phones simply being for calls and texting are long gone, with operators offering more types of content, including streaming media, video, entertainment, maps and gaming, as well as a host of other useful apps and tools.
“We are eager to bring the best web experience to Africa and working with Vodafone enables us to achieve that,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software. “We have seen incredible uptake of Opera Mini in Africa so far, and we look forward to building on that success with one of the region’s leading mobile communications providers.”
Opera’s August 2012 State of the Mobile Web report focused on Africa. It showed how Ghanaians love to surf, with the top-ten sites browsed on mobile phones being Facebook, Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, Goal, Waptrick, GhanaWeb, Twitter, Dictionary.com and BBC.co.uk.
About Opera Software ASA
The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 275 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.
