Opera Platform Takes Stage

Ahead of next week’s massive ITU conference in Geneva, Opera Software on
Friday has unveiled a new platform designed to fully integrate technology
from the Oslo-based company’s well-known browser with a handheld device’s
local applications and an operator’s online content.

In a press statement, the company said the so-called Opera Platform
allows operators to push their own content and services right on the
handset’s main screen, independent of type or operating system. Through a
fully customizable Home Screen,
developers and designers have the flexibility to create an unlimited amount
of interfaces using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and DOM.

“The Opera Platform is more flexible than any other solution on the
market,” Opera said in its marketing literature.

However, the Opera Platform is still limited by whatever specifications
are set out in the API of the device platform itself. The platform is merely
meant to be a JavaScript extension of the Opera browser engine.

But by
leveraging Opera’s JavaScript extension capabilities, information from local
apps like Messenger or Calendar features can be integrated in native code.
The extension communicates with an OS-specific JavaScript extension library.

Opera said the ultimate goal is higher average revenue per user if
operators can increase the usage of the newly rolled-out online data
services.

But will Opera have any partners join them in its latest pursuit to carve out its new platform? An Opera spokesman said the company planned to trot the technology out to the public first.

“This is brand-new so it’s going to take a while longer than that,” said Pal Hvistendahl. “Probably not that long though. The operators are naturally very excited about this. They want to be able to control the phone’s environment more, make the
whole mobile experience more dynamic, and, of course, get higher ARPU on
their data traffic.”