From the desktop to the mobile, even to the Nintendo Wii, Opera Software’s free networking site offers its users several points of access. The recently updated My Opera community site has a reach that goes straight for the youthful audience that social networking sites crave. Opera Software distributes browsers for several desktop OS platforms, as well as browsers for the mobile phone and for Nintendo devices like the Wii and the handheld DS.
Though their market share in the browser world doesn’t have the numbers of a Firefox or an IE, the Opera browser (this writer’s preferred browser for years) has a lot of advanced features that more widely used ones have only recently emulated.
Security issues in Opera have been comparatively non-existent. Those who enjoy the browser and have wanted Opera to make some updates and changes to the My Opera world have had their wishes granted. Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner said they’re hearing those users all the way in Oslo:
“The launch of the new My Opera is a testament to our users, telling them that we are listening,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO for Opera Software. “We want this community to be less about Opera and more about the individuals that comprise My Opera. Our intention is to provide a service that is for the users and driven by the ever-increasing number of users, and we feel that we’ve taken the first step with this launch.”
Under the hood, My Opera still has its blogs and forums available for people to post their thoughts and discuss them with other members.
By extending its functionality to camera phones with Opera Mini or Opera Mobile in place, people can camera-blog and upload pictures from anyplace. Those images could serve as the start of a new group, where a photo album can be shared among various people.
Blogs can be shared as well, while members of the My Opera community may create profiles and visit the People profiles of other users.
Nintendo’s Wii console became a must-have item over the 2006 holiday season, and has found a place in a number of homes. Drawing those gamers into the My Opera community would help build more loyalty to Opera’s browsers.
Since Opera has deals in place with Google on the desktop and Yahoo on the mobile for search, gaining more Opera users who use those searches benefits Opera with each query. Enhancing an attractive community product with a tight focus on sharing, international appeal, and a multiple device presence should serve that part of the business well.
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