3GSM � Opera: Empowering Operators By Empowering Users at MobHappy

Anybody that’s followed my writing for a while knows both my belief that widgets will have a significant impact on the mobile industry as well as my interest in content platforms like Flash Lite that offer content providers and operators relatively easy ways to deploy rich content that can be easily updated. It’s little surprise then that I came away awfully impressed by the Opera Platform — and I think it’s probably a better overall solution than the similar Flash Lite.

Opera’s starting from a place of strength with its excellent mobile browsers. I can say without hesitation that Opera Mini is the best Java application I’ve ever used, and the “full” Opera Mobile on smartphones is no slouch either. Opera Platform uses that smartphone browser as a base on which to run widgets built with standard Web technologies — and even AJAX. It’s an excellent solution for mobile, both because services and applications can update in real time, and can easily be built. More than that though, they slot right into the mobile browsing experience because of their speed as well as their ability to deliver tightly focused information, the kinds of things in which people are interested when surfing on a phone.

What’s interesting about Opera’s approach is that they play both sides. They make solutions like Opera Mini freely available to consumers, but also work with content providers and operators to build branded versions. Where things get kind of funny is that in some ways, a downloaded browser like Opera is a carrier’s worst nightmare, letting users surf the “real” Internet — where they can get much of the information for which carriers charge for free. The thing is, though, that it’s operators that stand to benefit from this. Not just because of the data traffic it can generate, but because they have the most to gain from an improved mobile data user experience. And while they’re often afraid of open systems and standards, the idea that pretty much anybody can create an Opera widget (whether they can get it deployed is another matter) can give them the biggest benefit.

This is total long-tail thinking: a smart operator will install Opera Platform on as many devices as it can, then build a system through which people can easily sell their widgets to users. It’s impossible for carriers, or even their content partners to cater to everyone’s tastes; but creating an ecosystem where they can rely on outside content from providers as well as individuals — and taking a cut along the way — offers them the best chance. Users can easily personalize the content they receive on their devices, adding a new level of personalization beyond ringtones or colored faceplates. A great implementation would be integrated with a billing system, offering payouts to professional developers, while also offering user-created content and paying its developers perhaps through some sort of credit system, like 3 has done with its viral videos.

There was a mild uproar some time ago about Java portals, which were applications that content providers created so users could access their content without going through a carrier portal. The best response here isn’t to shut them down or block them, it’s to create a better system that leads to more satisfied users and allows content providers to make money too. Happier users will use more services more often, and spend more money — and certainly be less likely to churn.