Opera: we are planning to open an office in Prague

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Please can you introduce yourself to our readers? And what is your position in Opera Software?

My name is Tor Odland and I'm the Communications Director at Opera Software. I've been working at Opera for nearly three years now. When I started, we were just below 200 people. Now the company has 400 employees. And we continue to grow…

Is it true that Opera Software is going to open new office in Prague?

Yes, we are planning to open an office in Prague.

What kind of office it will be?

A development office to start with. We already have 3–4 people in Prague and they are programmers and Web developers. In the long run we might expand it to include business development people.

If development, can you specify, what kind of development…

Development of our Core technology, Mobile browsers and Devices browsers. There will probably also be Quality Assurance staff in Prague (the people who test and verify that our software is working optimally).

Why Prague and Czech republic?

Prague and Czech Republic is an exciting place. We already have multiple staff members from Czech Republic and we are very happy with their skills and personalities. Our plan is to add on more developers, QA people and other technical staff to our Prague office.

Could you specify location of Prague office?

Not yet.

How many employees will work there?

We're starting with 4–5 people and will build the office over time.

How many people from Czech republic and Slovak republic work in Opera Software now?

2 czech and 1 slovak developers, 1 czech web developer

Is there some operating system dominant in Opera Software? Which one and why?

Opera's key differentiatior in the market is that we run on any platform. We don't give one platform priority over the other.

How many people in Opera Software work on „support activities“ like marketing, selling,…?

Approx 3/4 of Opera are technical staff (developers, testers, UI designers, etc).

What kind of „working culture“ is in Opera Software? Is there open-space or separate offices? What is hierarchy structure in separate offices?

We have a very international and collaborative culture in Opera. Among our 400 employees we have 42 nationalities, so our corporate culture is very diverse and eclectic. But we share a vision about the desire to change the way people use the internet.

Some people sit in open offices, others sit in separate offices. We have offices in the following countries: Norway, Sweden, Poland, India, Japan, South Korea, United States. And now we're adding Czech Republic. :)

What kind of software tools are used in Opera developement?

C++ mostly on MSVC, gcc or similar and CodeWarrior.

What happens when somebody reports defunct page to Opera Software? Is there any kind of Technical Evangelization similar to Mozilla?

Yes, we have a dedicated team of people who work to make Web sites more standardized and accessible. We call it the „Open the Web“ team and it is managed by a guy called David Storey.

Opera Software has been frequently blamed for hiding security vulnerabilities from public. How is it in real?

It's wrong to say that we have been frequently blamed for hiding security vulnerabilities.

Moreover, Opera has the industry's stron­gest track record on fixing open vulnerabilities.

How fast can you release new version when somebody reports new critical bug?

We are extremely quick. Usually within a day.

What does Opera Software mean about iPhone as new competition? Is it big problem for your business?

The iPhone has contributed to opening up people's eyes to the advantages of surfing the Web on a mobile phone. So as a result, more people are requesting Opera's products. Which is great.

This interview will read many students and developers. Can you advise them, why should they apply for job at Opera Software?

If you are hired by Opera, you will be joining the world's most dedicated team of Web browser developers. At Opera, people live and breathe the Web every day. Our unique culture will allow you to develop your unique skills in a multicultural environment. You will develop technologies for the world's most innovative products from leading companies such as Nintendo, Sony, Nokia, Motorola, T-Mobile, Vodafone and Palm.

What kind of positions are you looking for?

We are looking for C++ developers to deliver the Opera browser on embedded devices. We are also looking for product testers to ensure a high quality Web experience with Opera on embedded devices.

Here are the links:
www.opera.com/com­pany/jobs/ope­ning.dml?id=145
www.opera.com/com­pany/jobs/ope­ning.dml?id=146

Thank your very much.

You're welcome!