Novarra wins Vodafone contract in U.K.

Vodafone U.K. has tapped Novarra to transcode Internet content for mobile phones.
Novarra will provide a hosted service that automatically transforms Web content to fit specific handset capabilities such as screen size and memory. The technology also optimizes the speed and usability of the Internet from mobile phones, Novarra said, on more than 150 mass-market and high-end phones with full HTML browsers.
The news marks a major win for Novarra, which partners with wireless service providers but-unlike rival developer Opera Software A.S.A.-doesn’t target consumers directly with a downloadable application. The company also powers mobile Internet services for Amp’d Mobile Inc., U.S. Cellular Corp. and the operator 3 in Hong Kong and Italy.
“We firmly believe that an intuitive user experience is the cornerstone of consumer uptake and usage,” said Al Russell, Vodafone U.K.’s head of mobile and Internet content. “After extensive testing and evaluation, we chose to partner with Novarra for the most advanced user experience combined with the platform scalability and performance we require.”