Opera currently has a small share of the Internet browser market, which is dominated by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer with about 87 percent of users while the open source Firefox has 8 percent, according to one recent estimate. But it’s likely that usage of Opera has been limited by its status as a paid/ad-supported product competing against free browsers with no ads. The new distribution model provides Opera the opportunity to compete on features and merit. Opera is available for multiple operating systems (including Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Symbian OS, Windows Mobile, BREW, QNX, TRON, FreeBSD, Solaris and Mediahighway) and enabled for use on many mobile devices.

“The success of our free browser proves the world is ready for a fresh option,” said a dry and landlocked Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera Software. “I’m most excited about the hundreds of thousands of new users who have discovered the speed, security and usability of our browser for the first time.”