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Known as Vivaldi and available on desktop
computers from Tuesday, the browser's initial launch covers the
Windows, Mac and Linux platforms.
"A mobile phone and a tablet version are in the pipeline. We are
working on it, but they won't be out until they're ready," said
von Tetzchner, who owns 90 percent of the company's shares and
has paid for the development.
"At some point it will need to fund it self and to reach that
point we will need a few million users. I have no doubt that we
will reach that number quite easily," he added.
With features like personalized notes, bookmarks with small
screen shots and speed dials with options for multiple groups
and folders, Vivaldi hopes to attract high-volume users.
Despite tough competition from the likes of Google's Chrome,
Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Apple's Safari, Mozilla Corp's
Firefox and Opera Software's browser, von Tetzchner believes
there is still room for more.
"We welcome everyone, but this is first of all a browser for
people who expect and need more," he said. "There is without a
doubt a demand for this type of browser even though I don't
expect it to take more than a few percent of the total market."
Vivaldi has signed a few affiliation deals ahead of the launch
and is in talks with several potential partners for
functionalities like search and online shopping.
"We have made several deals and have started a dialogue with
others. But because some of these are potential competitors,
we've wanted to go live with the browser first."
Named after the 18th century composer Antonio Vivaldi, the name
carries an inescapable reference to von Tetzchner's previous
role as co-founder and long-time head of browser and mobile
phone technology firm Opera Software.
He left the company in 2011 and later formed Vivaldi.net, a
social media platform which he said at the time would target
computer geeks wary of aggressive advertising and government
surveillance.
(Editing by Terje Solsvik)
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