New version of Opera Embeds ViaVoice from IBM

Opera Sings with IBM's Speech Technology:
New version of Opera Embeds ViaVoice from IBM

Oslo, Norway and San Francisco, CA - Mar. 23, 2004 - Today at AVIOS,
SpeechTEK 2004, Opera Software announced the upcoming release of a multimodal
desktop browser that incorporates IBM's Embedded ViaVoice speech technology.
By leveraging IBM's voice libraries in this version of Opera, users can
navigate, request information and even fill in Web forms using speech and
other forms of input in the same interaction. 

"Voice is the most natural and effective way we communicate. In the years to
come it will greatly facilitate how we interact with technology," says
Christen Krogh, VP Engineering, Opera Software ASA. "By making this
technology available today for the wider Web audience, the serious work of
voice-enabling the Web can commence." 

While traditional HTML pages continue to be the foundation of the Web,
advances in the function, speed and size of both computers and mobile
devices, along with today's diversity of users, has increased the demand for
more flexible user interfaces. By building on this standardized foundation
using XHTML+Voice (X+V), developers can add voice input and output to
traditional, graphically based Web pages and achieve natural voice
functionality. For example, Opera's presentation tool, Opera Show, can
empower users to replace Microsoft PowerPoint, creating light-weight,
Internet standards-based presentations that can also make post-publishing a
breeze. By combining Opera Show with voice, can allow users in the future be
able to give presentations and tell Opera via voice commands to turn to the
next slide without approaching the computer and pressing the 'Page Down'
keyboard key. 

"This new offering can allow us to interact with the content on the Web in a
more natural way, combining speech with other forms of input and output -
first on PCs, and in the near future, devices such as cellphones and PDAs,"
said Igor Jablokov, Director, Embedded Speech, IBM, and Chairman of the
VoiceXML Forum. "Developers can also start to build multimodal content using
the open standards-based X+V markup language, which unifies the visual and
voice Web by using development skills a large population of programmers
already have today." 
Opera will make the IBM integrated voice browser available in English for
Windows with initial targets being enterprise customers and developers. For a
demonstration of multimodal speech applications, visit:
www.ibm.com/pvc/multimodal. 
About Opera Software ASA

Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web browser
technology, targeting the desktop, smartphone, PDA, iTV and vertical markets.
Partners include companies such as IBM, Nokia, Sony, Motorola, Macromedia,
Adobe, Symbian, Canal+ Technologies, Sony Ericsson, Kyocera, Sharp, Motorola
Metroworks, MontaVista Software, BenQ, Sendo and AMD. The Opera browser has
received international recognition from users, industry experts and media for
being faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers. 

Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, and currently
available on the following operating systems: Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Symbian
OS, QNX, TRON, FreeBSD, Solaris and Mediahighway.

Opera Software ASA is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with development centers
in Linkoping and Gothenburg, Sweden, and a sales representative in Austin,
TX. The company is listed on the Oslo Børs under the ticker symbol OPERA.
Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.
IBM Disclaimer:

All statements regarding IBM's future direction or intent are subject to
change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only.

CONTACTS:

IBM
Geraldine Kan
Public Relations, IBM Pervasive Computing
Wk: 1-914-766-1112 (IBM tie-line 826 1112)
Cell: 1-917-478-5148
gkan@us.ibm.com
IBM MD 1171,
Building 1, Route 100
Somers, NY 10589 

Opera Software
Pal A. Hvistendahl
Marcom Director
Tel: +47 99 72 43 31
Toll free: 1-866-841-4610 (US press only, please)
pal@opera.com