A beach-ready browser: KDDI brings Opera on board for summer phone models

Oslo, Norway and Tokyo, Japan — May 25, 2009

With summer just around the corner, KDDI and Opera Software have joined forces once again to bring Japanese users two new mobile phones for browsing at the beach. KDDI will unveil their new summer line-up at a press event today, highlighting two Toshiba phones ("biblio" and T002) running Opera Mobile 9.5. This release marks the very first deployment of Opera Mobile 9.5 on BREW, making Opera the most advanced browser currently available for this a non-smartphone platform.

KDDI was early to embrace Opera’s latest mobile browser with a release of seven new phones running Opera in October 2008. As KDDI’s official "PC Site Viewer", Opera has continuously introduced better and faster browsing to Japanese subscribers since 2004. Opera Mobile 9.5 has re-imagined the way Web sites were viewed from the mobile screen, allowing users to choose between the default full-page view or Opera’s signature Small Screen Rendering. This version also boasts a new graphic user interface and improved overall performance. Simple navigation by panning and zooming plus the ability to save pages, passwords and sessions make Opera Mobile 9.5 an easy-to-use and intuitive mobile-browsing experience.

"KDDI was an early adopter of Opera’s vision to make the Web available to anyone, anytime, anywhere. We have been working with this mobile leader for the past five years, during which time we have introduced ground-breaking new features to Japanese mobile users," said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "These new summer phones with Opera promise to be a simple way to keep on blogging, e-mailing and social networking wherever the warm weather takes you."

The Toshiba "biblio" and T002 running Opera Mobile 9.5 will be on display at the KDDI press event, held today at The Prince Part Tower Tokyo at 11am Japan Standard Time. These phones will be available at KDDI retailers in Japan in early July 2009.

"We are now getting close to having collaborated with Opera on nearly 100 of our mobile phones. Early on, we knew that in order to appeal to the mature Japanese mobile market, we would have to continually innovate our offering. Opera has proven to be just the tool we needed, meeting our subscribers' ever-growing expectations of what the Web on a mobile phone should be," said Kazuhiko Masuda General Manager, Consumer Service & Product Planning Division, Consumer Service & Product Sector. KDDI.

About KDDI

KDDI is the only Japanese information and communications company that comprehensively provides all communications services, from fixed to mobile. KDDI is aggressively working towards realization of the coming Ubiquitous Network Society through its ability to develop leading-edge fixed and mobile communications networks, and services to support them, and through the ability to carry out technical R&D at a level unsurpassed anywhere.

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. 220 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. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the Internet. Our vision of one Web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.