Free Opera for higher education

The browser wars have taken a new twist with web browser company Opera offering free software licences to higher education institutions worldwide in an attempt to wean users off Internet Explorer.

The company said its offer is being made in an attempt to protect academia from some of the flaws in "more vulnerable browsers" and to ensure a more secure, personalised web surfing experience for future generations of decision makers.

It may also be counting on some of those decisions relating to what web browser should be used in future business ventures.

Already the offer has been taken up by a number of high profile institutions including Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US as well as Oxford University in the UK, according to the company.

Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera Software, said customisation features within Opera may prove a popular add-on for schools and universities that want to use their own colours, badges or mascots to decorate the browser window.

On a more serious note von Tetzchner added: "Opera is fully standards compliant and offers extensive administration possibilities for network configuration, providing flexibility to system administrators as they make Opera a part of their university network."

Universities interested in Opera's free site licence should visit www.opera.com/education for more information.