Version of 8.5 the Opera browser, released Tuesday, will not contain the advertising banner that previous free versions displayed in return for users' avoiding having to pay a licensing fee for the browser software, reports CNET. With the move, Opera hopes to accelerate adoption of its browser: "Removing the ad banner and licensing fee will encourage many new users to discover the speed, security and unmatched usability of the Opera browser," Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera Software, said in a statement.

Norway's Opera Software hopes to capture greater market share and catch up with its browser's nearest rival, Firefox, writes Red Herring. The current online landscape has allowed the development of revenue models that don't have to depend on revenue from users, von Tetzchner said. The company hopes to make money through revenue-sharing arrangements with the likes of Google, eBay and Amazon.

For example, Opera has built in a Google search toolbar into its browser; when a user does a Google search and clicks on a contextual ad, Opera will get a share of the ad revenue.

Daniel Goldman, who runs "Operawatch," a blog dedicated to news about the browser, estimated that it would take Opera more than a year to catch up with Firefox.

Opera and its users consider Firefox their primary competitor over Microsoft, though the upcoming IE 7.0 is expected to have tabbed browsing, improved security, and RSS capabilities, features that attract users to Opera and Firefox.