Opera Software has inked a deal with MTS (Sistema Shyam) to promote the Opera Mini browser to MTS customers on the mobile: Opera Mini will be available on MTS' "My MTS Zone" (SimToolKit?). The agreement is in line with a policy that MTS has adopted - of pushing data usage in the Indian market where voice ARPU is on the decline and in a state of hypercompetition, while data penetration is low. Much of their focus has been on their data cards. For Opera, though, these deals are becoming increasingly important with the growing importance of applications as a mode of access to online services, as opposed to the mobile web. India has the third largest Opera Mini users globally, and is one of its fasted growing markets. Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software said that this partnership is an extension of Opera's partnerships with MTS in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Related: -July 2010: Opera Says 76% Of Indian Mobile Internet Users Surveyed Are In 18-27 Age Group - June 2010: Indian Opera Mini Users Consuming 8MB/Month; GetJar Number 5 Site
