The browser supports 128bit SSL encryption, version 2 and 3. With a modern code-base and a small development team, Opera Software has managed to produce a browser with most of the capabilities of Communicator and Internet Explorer, at a fraction of the footprint. By focusing heavily on customer feedback, Opera Software has established a strong user community. The Opera browser is said to adhere to strict HTML standards, and independent tests by the Web Standards Project and Web Review have verified that it does better than either of the main browsers in this area. Opera Software said it doesn't really see itself in direct competition with Microsoft and Netscape, who both give their browsers away for free.
Opera is aimed at people who want a better browser and are willing to pay for it.