Opera creates Chinese browser JV

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Opera creates Chinese browser JV

Takes 40% in new venture with distributor Telling, to put its browsers in hands of "hundreds of millions"

By CAROLINE GABRIEL

Published: 11 March, 2011

READ MORE: China | Opera | Applications (Browser)

For companies forced to take on the might of Google in the web markets, China is a good place to look, given the search giant's troubles there. China is one of the few markets where local brands top the search and browser fields, as with the Baidu engine, and mobile browser maker Opera aims to cash in. It has formed a joint venture with Chinese cellphone distributor Telling Telecom to create a mobile browser customized for the Chinese market.

The CNY135m ($20.5m) venture is 40% owned by Opera and will see its Mini browser enhanced with local content, preloaded on some devices, and sold through Telling's 40,000-strong network of retail outlets.

"China represents the largest mobile web opportunity on the planet," said Opera CEO Lars Boilesen in a statement. "To reach the vast majority of that market, we are creating an entirely new product that suits the needs of Chinese consumers." He added that Telling's network had the potential to "get a product in the hands of hundreds of millions of consumers".

Telling and its subsidiaries ship more than 30m handsets a year from a range of local and international brands. CEO Huang Shaowen commented: "The establishment of a joint venture with Opera will create a new stage for Telling Telecom to keep pushing our mobile internet strategy."

Opera is aggressively seeking new ways to retain its mobile browser lead and monetize the products - Opera Mobile and Opera Mini - more effectively, as smartphones increasingly run their vendors' own browsers, such as Apple Safari, as the default. It has a range of deals with operators, especially in emerging markets, to preload and customize its product; it has launched activities in widgets, mobile advertising and, most recently, a cross-OS app store; and it works with partners that focus on bringing web capabilities to featurephones, such as Qualcomm Brew and Nokia S40.