Opera Software, today launched a technical preview of the Opera browser for Windows, Linux and Mac that includes support for BitTorrent.

Opera is the first Web browser to natively support BitTorrent downloads, which normally require a separate external client. According to Opera, integrating this file-downloading technology in its browser offers end users a faster download process and reduces in-transfer delay when multiple users download the same file. The BitTorrent protocol makes downloading a large file efficient. Opera already supports other file protocols such as FTP and HTTP.

Additionally, the Opera 8.02 will also introduce a number of bug fixes including an update for Web pages using Flash.

"While BitTorrent has been on Opera's radar screen for more than a year, the true value of the technology became evident when the company launched Opera 8 in April this year. The massive response, with more than 100 downloads per second, dealt a technical knock-out to Opera's servers. With BitTorrent, users would have had an alternative download mechanism," said Christen Krogh, VP of Engineering, Opera Software.