Opera Software today announced that it has teamed with BitTorrent Inc. to include the BitTorrent protocol in the upcoming version of the Opera Web browser. Integrating this popular technology in the Opera browser means faster and more efficient downloads of large files.

Opera and BitTorrent have signed an agreement covering Opera's use of the BitTorrent trademark and access to the BitTorrent search engine from the browser’s user interface. A technical preview (TP) of the Opera 9 browser will be made available soon.

BitTorrent's technology will be made available to users of the Opera browser in two ways: first, users can search for torrent files in the Opera browser's integrated search field, and second, when a file has been selected, Opera's Transfer Manager feature will handle the download. As a result of integrating BitTorrent into the Opera browser, users no longer need separate software for the searching and downloading of torrent content.

Opera Software was the first mass-market browser vendor to implement BitTorrent technology. On July 7, 2005, the company launched the first technical preview of the Opera browser (Opera 8.02) which included the BitTorrent protocol. As a result of positive user feedback and further testing, Opera has now decided to maintain BitTorrent in the upcoming Opera 9 Web browser.

"Implementing BitTorrent is a natural choice, considering its efficient use of bandwidth and worldwide popularity. For users this means that they can browse and download content in an application they're familiar with," says Christen Krogh, VP of Engineering, Opera Software.

Opera already supports other file transfer protocols such as FTP and HTTP. BitTorrent is the logical next step in the company's strategy to increase productivity and improve the overall Internet experience for end users.

"By integrating the BitTorrent protocol, licensing the company’s globally recognized trademark and collaborating with BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen, Opera is demonstrating leadership among Web browsers and consideration for the open source software ecosystem," says Ashwin Navin, President, BitTorrent. "With BitTorrent Search, Opera will be offering its users a seamless experience for discovering and downloading large files from the thousands of BitTorrent publishers around the world."

BitTorrent is an open source, peer-to-peer protocol for distributing files. It makes use of the upstream bandwidth of every downloader to increase the speed and effectiveness of the distribution as a whole. On average, the faster you upload to your peers, the faster you will be able to download. Because BitTorrent greatly reduces the load on a single server, the technology also benefits organizations with intense download traffic, such as Opera. BitTorrent’s agreement with Opera is the first under a soon-to-be announced conformance program for the use of the BitTorrent trademark.

The Opera 9 TP2 will be made available soon. Opera emphasizes that the TP should be used for preview purposes only.

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