Opera Unite makes serving data as simple and easy as browsing the Web. For consumers, Opera Unite services give greater control of private data and make it easy to share data with any device equipped with a modern Web browser. For Web developers, Opera Unite services are based on the same open Web standards as Web sites today. This simplifies the complexity of authoring cutting-edge Web services. With Opera Unite, creating a full Web service is as easy as coding a Web page.

Opera Unite is available in a special version of the Opera 10 desktop browser from Opera Labs. Opera Unite services run directly in the browser.

The user can securely share a file from his personal computer without waiting to upload it, by selecting the folder from which he would like to share files. Opera Unite then generates a direct URL to that folder. By giving that link to friends, he can share files without routing through a third-party Web service.

The customer is able to run entire Web sites from your local computer with the Opera Unite Web Server. After selecting the folder containing the Web site, he can share and host it from the given Opera Unite URL. Opera Unite will automatically recognize index files and create the Web site as he designed it.

After selecting the folder containing a playlist, Opera Unite plays the tracks directly in any modern Web browser. Opera fans can share photos direct from their PCs, without uploading them online. Selecting the photo folder, the photo-sharing service will create a thumbnail image gallery of the photos. Clicking the thumbnail will present the photo in its original resolution.

The Lounge is a self-contained chat service running on the computer. The friends can access the chat room via the direct link, which will not require them to sign into any service. Depending on the privacy settings, the user needs only provide the generated password to his service in order for people to log in to the chatroom. By sharing the direct link to a virtual refrigerator, friends, family or colleagues can exchange notes securely and privately in real time.

“Today, we are opening the full potential of the Web for everyone,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. “Technology moves in distinct cycles. PCs decentralized computing away from large mainframes. Opera Unite now decentralizes and democratizes the cloud. With server capability in the browser, Web developers can create Web applications with profound ease. Consumers have the flexibility to choose private and efficient ways of sharing information. We believe Opera Unite is one of our most significant innovations yet, because it changes forever the fundamental fabric of the Web.”