One of the few companies to successfully challenge Microsoft's hegemony on the desktop is Opera with its eponymous Web browser.

Not content to just be a thorn in the software giant's side on the PC, the Norwegian developer announced today that its browser software would soon be available for Windows Mobile smartphones. And with many Windows Mobile users unhappy with Pocket Internet Explorer, it is a market Opera should excel in.

Opera previously offered its mobile browser only for Series 60 and UIQ-based Symbian smartphones—by far the most popular mobile device platform worldwide.

Opera's handheld browser includes what the company calls small-screen rendering technology, which enables users to browse regular Web pages more effectively on small handheld and smartphone screens by reformatting the page and eliminating the need for horizontal scrolling.

To Opera, shipping a version of its handheld browser for Windows Mobile meets the demands of the market. Rolf Assev, Opera's Executive VP of Business Development, commented "Operators want to offer their subscribers the same Internet and brand experience on all the different handsets coming from the various manufacturers, necessitating a fully integrated cross-platform browser. We've heard the market's call, and we're responding. Opera will soon offer a new Internet experience with Windows Mobile-based Smartphones."

The company's Windows Mobile browser is currently in beta testing. A release data has not been announced yet.