Web 2.0 on your mobile: Opera collaborates with Freescale and NEC to bring sites like YouTube to handheld devices

Opera Software, the only company that puts the Web on any device, continues to drive innovation in the mobile and embedded space with a new solution that optimizes the browsing experience of Internet sites containing multimedia content.

The solution, which is a result of collaboration between Opera, Freescale and NEC Corporation of America, will be publicly demonstrated at the Freescale Technology Forum in Paris. The demonstration powered by the Opera 9 SDK for Devices will run on Freescale's i.MX31 multimedia applications processor and use an Adobe Flash Lite 3 plug-in ported and integrated by NEC.

Browsing dynamic Internet sites poses significant challenges in terms of feature integration and multimedia performance on handheld devices. This is why today's device users have had limited access to video Web sites.

Combining Opera's advanced browsing capabilities and Freescale's i.MX31 optimized architecture, NEC integrated the very latest audio, video and Adobe Flash Lite 3 plug-in technology. The breakthrough will give users full access to popular online social media such as YouTube, enabling them to enjoy rich video content right from their handheld device.

"With the multiplication of connected devices, consumers are demanding to replicate the desktop Internet experience on wireless devices," says Aaron Shagrin, director of business development at Freescale. "Opera Software leveraged the power of the i.MX31 processor to elevate Web surfing on mobile devices to a new level of experience."

"This is an important milestone for Opera and we are excited to bring very popular Web sites, in a fast and innovative way, to handheld devices," says Scott Hedrick, senior vice president of business solutions, Opera Software. "This collaboration with Freescale and NEC strengthens our reputation for providing leading-edge browsing capabilities within the mobile and embedded space."

"NEC is proud to provide the integration of a Linux-based Adobe Flash Lite 3 plug-in technology to accompany Opera's leading software and Freescale's powerful i.MX31 architecture," said Yuji Ichimura, vice president, Solutions Business of NEC Corporation of America. "This new solution from Opera will greatly enhance the way people utilize embedded devices."