Opera and KongZhong answer the call of the People

The free KongZhong Opera 3.0 mobile browser now available in China

Oslo, Norway and Beijing, China — September 23, 2008

The Chinese have embraced mobile browsing, and Opera and KongZhong Corporation are responding with the new and improved KongZhong Opera 3.0 full Internet browser for mobile phones. This is a third generation, customized version of Opera Mini that is designed specifically for the Chinese market. KongZhong is one of the leading providers of advanced wireless interactive entertainment and media, and currently China Mobile’s number one wireless value-added service provider.

Accordings to Reuters, only 3.6 of every 100 Chinese citizens is connected to high speed Internet, placing the pressure on the mobile industry to get China online.

“Opera and KongZhong recognize that the Chinese are eager for advancements in the mobile Web, and we understand that there is tremendous growth potential in China for Internet adoption via mobile phones,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “Every mobile phone user is a potential Internet user in China, as it is the quickest and most cost efficient way for people to get online in a country that’s not permeated with broadband connections.”

KongZhong Opera 3.0 is based on the latest version of Opera Mini, the world’s most popular mobile Web browser, used actively by over 16 million people worldwide.

Available free of charge to customers, KongZhong Opera 3.0 has undergone numerous improvements. In this release, Opera focused on the needs of the Chinese market by redesigning its customized KongZhong start page and ensuring that favorite Chinese sites and Web portals work seamlessly from the mobile screen. Browsing speed has also been a major focus, with speed performance rating nearly 50 percent faster than in previous versions.

“The KongZhong Opera browser has earned a reputation in China as a high performing and secure way to surf popular Chinese Web sites from a mobile phone,” said Li Yang, Senior Vice President, KongZhong Corporation. “The Chinese market is very special because for many of our customers, the mobile phone is the only way they access the Internet. As a result, it is extremely important to our company that we provide a fast, secure and easy mobile Web experience, and Opera is a proven solution with a solid reputation in China.”

The wait is over for China mobile Internet users who have long wanted to download and upload content with their mobile browsers. KongZhong Opera 3.0 now supports this feature, as well as Opera Link. Opera Link allows subscribers to access their personal browser settings from any Opera-powered device by simply logging in. KongZhong Opera 3.0 marks the first release of Opera Link in China.

Additional upgrades to KongZhong Opera 3.0 include:

• Redesigned start-page — Customized for China mobile Internet users, this start-up page gives users the information they want in an easy-to-use format.
• Find in page — KongZhong Opera 3.0 now allows users to find keywords on a Web page.
• Offline browsing — Mobile Web surfers can now save Web pages and view them offline.
• Local site enhancements — Opera did its best to ensure that local favorites, such as Google.cn, baidu.com and popular Web portals work well on KongZhong Opera Mini 3.0.

About Opera Software ASA

Opera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera's cross-platform Web browser technology is renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com/.

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