Oslo, Norway - February 9, 2016

India's third-largest operator, Idea, joins as first carrier partner in Asia

Opera today launched globally its unique, 'Netflix-style' subscription service for premium Android apps, with India's third-largest mobile operator, Idea, on board as the first partner in Asia.

Opera Apps Club brings value to carriers, developers and users by offering an alternative distribution and monetization model for apps based on an unlimited 'all you can download' subscription offer, payable through operators' billing systems.

In this way, Opera Apps Club is able to reach a wider audience of mobile users who would otherwise not have access to premium mobile apps, especially in emerging markets, where credit-card and debit-card penetration remains low.

Opera acquired Bemobi in August 2015, adding its leading, app-subscription service to Opera's portfolio of operator solutions. The service, originally available throughout Brazil and Latin America, in partnership with 34 wireless carriers and two smartphone OEMs, will continue to roll out globally this year as Opera Apps Club.

'Since its inception, Opera Apps Club has been designed with high scalability in mind to accommodate future business growth,' says Pedro Ripper, CEO of Bemobi, an Opera company. 'Leveraging Opera's global footprint, we can deliver services that benefit end users, operators and app-developers, globally.'

Customizing solutions for each operator

Opera Apps Club can be highly customized for each mobile operator's audience. In India, Idea has customized the Opera Apps Club solution to focus on games. The Idea Games Club, powered by Opera, will offer hundreds of games from international and Indian developers.

With over six million active subscribers, Opera Apps Club provides an effective channel for app developers, through which they can get their apps discovered and monetized across the globe. For carriers, it provides a highly engaging and relevant service they can offer to their users, as well as increased revenue over time.

About Opera Software AS

Opera enables more than 350 million internet consumers worldwide to connect with the content and services that matter most to them. Opera also helps publishers monetize their content through advertising and advertisers reach the audiences that build value for their businesses, capitalizing on a global consumer audience reach that exceeds 1 billion.

Opera is a trademark of Opera Software AS.

Opera Software ASA issued this content on 09 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 09 February 2016 11:35:11 UTC

Original Document: http://business.opera.com/press/releases/general/2016-02-09