Opera signs with RedFlag in China embedded Linux deal

China's RedFlag Software is to offer embedded versions of the Opera browser on a range of Linux-based devices and appliances for the Chinese market. According to a strategic alliance announced today, RedFlag will become an Opera reseller and will begin joint development and marketing efforts to tailor Opera for the Chinese embedded market.

The deal is Opera's first big one for the Asian embedded market, as until recently Opera didn't include support for non-Roman alphabets, and as embedded is a new area for RedFlag (historically it has dominated the Chinese desktop market), it's potentially a major coup for the Norwegian company.

You can learn a little about RedFlag's embedded portfolio here, and if your Chinese is significantly better than The Register's, you might even learn quite a lot. However, you'll note that RedFlag is working on an ARM-based PDA (and that Opera's Oslo neighbour Trolltech is by massive coincidence involved in this), and a set top box based on a Geode GX1.

RedFlag also produces thin client systems using Graphon Bridges, NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, and we also note references to Web Pads, Ebooks and Web phones - all of these would appear to be potential sales areas for Opera.

Also today, Opera announced that Opera will be in Swedish company i3's Mood Box next generation set top box, and released Opera 6.04 for Windows. ®