Opera launches operator-branded app store for “all you can eat” apps and games

Mobile operators who’ve missed out on the revenue created by the explosion in popularity of mobile apps can now set up and launch their own innovative app stores that feature the latest mobile apps and games, with by Opera Software’s announcement today of its Opera Subscription Mobile Store for operators. (TZ)

Already live with five different operators on three continents, the white-label Opera Subscription Mobile Store harnesses the deep app and game catalog of the Opera Mobile Store, now one of the three largest app stores in the world.

With the Opera Subscription Mobile Store, operators can create their own “all you can eat” subscription stores, in which consumers pay a small weekly fee to download as many apps as their smartphones can handle.

Thousands of premium apps and games to choose from – across platforms

The Opera Subscription Mobile Store provides operators and their customers with premium apps selected from the Opera Mobile Store’s 300,000 apps and games. These are available on over 6,000 different mobile phone models across popular platforms, including Android, Java, Symbian, and BlackBerry. Popular downloads include Minecraft, Angry Birds Star Wars II, My Talking Tom and Ice Age.

Opera continuously rotates and refreshes the apps in the store, with a steady stream of new apps being created and added each week by thousands of developers.

No operational or administrative tasks for operators

Opera created its Opera Subscription Mobile Store as a managed service for operators that allows them to participate in and benefit from the lucrative app market.  Opera takes care of virtually all of the app store’s operational and administrative tasks (such as developer payments) on the operators’ behalf. It also partners directly with operators to focus on how best to market the Subscription Mobile Store to their consumers.

“Our operator partners have been looking for innovative ways to introduce popular apps and games to their customers, and we’re delighted to enhance the Opera Mobile Store with a subscription-based model made just for them,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO at Opera Software. “The subscription model ensures a regular and recurring revenue stream. Rather than having to watch from the sidelines while third-party stores collect all the revenues, operators can be an active participant in the app value chain.”

“It’s clear that our customers are embracing their ability to download unlimited apps and games for one low-priced subscription fee,” says Oleg Reshetin, Marketing Director at MTS Ukraine – one of the live operator partners for the Opera Subscription Mobile Store. “It’s even more attractive for us, as Opera takes care of every step in the process, freeing us up to focus on driving new monthly subscriptions to the store.”

Learn more about the Opera Subscription Mobile Store at http://www.operasoftware.com/products/subscription-mobile-store.