Norwegian company Opera has released a tool called App Pass, which gives carriers an easy way to provide users with free access to certain apps for limited periods of time. The tool is a feature of the Opera Max mobile data management app.
According to an official blog post, Opera’s App Pass lets operators present various offers to users when they open any app on their phones. With a mere 2 clicks, users can gain free access to the data that particular app consumes via Opera Max, following which they can then return to the app knowing that any data consumed while using it will be zero-rated for the duration of the App Pass.
App Pass follows in the footsteps of the release of Web Pass some years ago. Opera’s 1st customer for App Pass is Norwegian carrier Telenor.
Opera is a well-known browser company which has been a pioneer of data compression techniques that users and carriers in emerging markets. It’s met with a modicum of success in the mobile computing device market.
By its own account, Opera Max users get up to 50% more data across most apps & browsers, while actually consuming the same amount as before, thanks to Opera’s video & data compression technology.
For example, Opera Web Pass allows operators to package their mobile Internet offerings in flexible, easy-to-understand & marketable ways to their customers, & move beyond confusing, megabyte-based data plans, which have created barriers for consumers who simply want to get Online with their mobile phones.
