"December 9, 2008 – Mountain View, CA – Today, Skyfire officially announced that their mobile browser is available in the UK, giving consumers there easy access to the only mobile browser that makes browsing on a mobile phone just like browsing on a PC. Skyfire lets users experience the “real web” to access and interact with any website built with any internet technology, including dynamic Flash, advanced Ajax, Silverlight, Java and more – at the same speeds they are accustomed to on their PC. With this free downloadable browser, for the first time, users can:
- watch any videos from the real YouTube and BBC iPlayer as well as live broadcasts of sporting and current events,
- stay connected with their friends on the full-feature PC versions of social networks like Facebook, Bebo, MySpace, and Twitter,
- listen to any Web music service like Last.fm, Live365.com and ShoutCast.com,
- shop on websites like eBay and Amazon,
- use any popular website like the BBC, Google, Yahoo, etc. -- just like they do on their PC.
“We are fully committed to user experience and speed. In fact, so much so that we have opened a data center in the UK to ensure that consumers there have the best Skyfire performance and experience. We’ve also customized the Skyfire start pages of for the UK consumer to include their most popular websites like the BBC, Bebo, eBay.co.uk, and Amazon.co.uk.” said Bhandari. “Prior to launching in the UK, we ensured that Skyfire runs on the most popular Nokia E or N Series phones that are so prevalent in the UK. We’re excited to give these UK Nokia users an iPhone-like browsing experience, but even better with Flash supported and unmatched speeds.”
Skyfire Technology
Skyfire’s patent-pending technology is the foundation of Skyfire’s unique ability to support all web technologies, both current and future, at speeds comparable to the PC. With Skyfire’s proprietary technology, supporting any new web standard becomes a seamless user experience without the need to upgrade to new releases. This technology allows Skyfire to support real web browsing while saving precious bandwidth and reducing processing power and memory needed on the phone.
Skyfire Beta
Skyfire launched their beta in the US in February 2008, and now the beta is active in the US, Canada and the UK. The award-winning mobile browser runs on Windows Mobile (both touch and non-touchscreens as well as VGA resolution) and Symbian Series 60 (3rd edition) phones. To read which phones Skyfire runs on, see www.skyfire.com/about/beta. Users can download the free mobile browser at get.skyfire.com from either their PC or mobile browser."
FAQ
Q: What makes Skyfire different?
A: It’s not about the browser, it’s about the browsing. The web on your PC is not just static HTML anymore. Unlike many other popular mobile browsers, Skyfire supports all the modern web technologies so users can watch any video, listen to any music, stay connected on any social network, and browse anything they want without delays, missing content or error messages. Skyfire provides predictable access, speed, and a user experience designed to delight mobile users.
Q: What web technologies does Skyfire support?
A: Skyfire support the same web technologies that PC browsers support such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flash, Ajax, QuickTime, Java, Windows Media, and more.
Q: What types of video does Skyfire support?
A: Skyfire supports embedded Flash, Quicksilver, QuickTime, Windows Media and more. We are constantly increasing our support as we come out with new versions.
Q: What mobile phones does Skyfire support?
A: Currently, Skyfire runs on Windows Mobile (5 or 6) mobile phones as well as Symbian Series 60 (3rd edition) phones, which include the Nokia E and N series phones. To read more about the phones we support and countries where we are active, please see About our Beta Program.
Q: Is Skyfire free?
A: It’s both free to download and free to use. An unlimited data plan is recommended.
Q: How can I get Skyfire?
A: Just go to http://get.skyfire.com/ from either your phone or PC browser to get the free download.
Q: What are your distribution plans for Skyfire?
A: Skyfire is currently in beta and our plans are direct to consumer for free download.
Q: When will Skyfire 1.0 be announced?
A: We are gearing up and polishing up Skyfire and announcements about Skyfire 1.0 will happen when we’re ready for general availability.
Q: When will Skyfire be active in countries other than the US, Canada and UK?
A: Currently, we are active in the US, Canada, and UK. Although you might be able to use Skyfire outside the US, Canada and UK, our focus is providing the best user experience for our active countries. Using Skyfire outside these countries is at your own discretion.
Q: When will Skyfire be available on the Blackberry, iPhone, or other non-supported phone?
A: We currently support the Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 (3rd edition) platforms. We have an ambitious product roadmap and future so you can expect to see Skyfire on other platforms. We will make announcements as we reach these milestones, but in the meantime there is no specific timeframe to give you.
Q: How is Skyfire able to render the PC Web?
A: Skyfire’s proprietary technology enables us to support the real web both now and in the future as the new web technologies are implemented. We have created a brand new architecture that’s server assisted. It’s an approach where the server does the heavy lifting so the client is high performing.
Q: Does Skyfire have a commercial relationship with particular websites or content providers?
A: Skyfire is not affiliated with or sponsored by any provider of content on the web, but provides the entire Internet for free to users on the go.