Skyfire to ramp up iPhone efforts

Following Apple's surprising decision to approve Opera Software's Opera Mini mobile browser for the iPhone and iPod--the first time the computing giant has allowed a rival browser access to its App Store to compete against the iPhone's native Safari--rival mobile browser developer Skyfire said it will now ramp up its own iPhone efforts. "Everyone at Skyfire was heartened by this decision by Apple to open up their platform, and believe this sets a solid precedent for additional innovation in mobile browsing from other companies," writes Skyfire CEO Jeff Glueck on the company's blog. "The Skyfire team has been watching the Opera submission and the iPhone/iPad market closely, and this will certainly accelerate our strategy on iDevices. Nothing to announce now, but stay tuned for news."

Opera reports that more than a million iPhone users worldwide downloaded Opera Mini in its first day of release.

The Skyfire browser is currently available across smartphone platforms including Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60. According to Skyfire, its browser relies on cloud-computing technology to offer users access to all web content, including Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight video. Skyfire also credits cloud rendering and compression for boosting the speed of complex websites, optimizing delivery of mobile video and content while minimizing the strain on operator networks.

For more on Skyfire's iPhone plans:
- read this Skyfire Blog entry

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