$ 1.2 billion . So much for Opera offers a Chinese consortium, which consists of Kunlun and Qihoo 360 Tech Software. Chinese investors have offered the Norwegians amount that far exceeds the valuation of the company, and which is difficult to resist. Therefore, the supervisory board of Opera gave a positive opinion to investors the acquisition of 100% of the shares of the company by the Chinese consortium.
Probably most of you associate Opera browser . Even in 2010 it was almost as popular in Poland as Chrome. Currently occupying 3rd place, ahead of Internet Explorer.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Browser Market Share
As for our smartphones, to the mobile Opera for Android uses 144 million users the whole world. Opera is usually 3 or 4 pride of place in this race, but you can not hide that from year to year its market share can not drop something dramatic, but it is not growing.
What do you want Chinese?
But it is not browser połakomili to investors from China and find it hard to be surprised. Opera is now in the tail race of our monitors and screens telephone. Currently, browser-interest Norwegians, according to a report for the 4th quarter 2015 has brought the company $ 36 million revenue. It’s not much. So what Opera Software really earn?
Mobile ads , which took home $ 154 million (of which 61% of the video), with 193 million of revenue in the 4th quarter 2015 . It is this branch of the current business opera most interested investors. And what is the interest. Opera Software in 2013 decided to launch a brand new service: Opera MediaWorks (advertising platform) and make it the main product of the company. Almost everyone associated with the Opera browser, but really it’s advertising business is at this point, the financial core of the company.
For Chinese investors take over the business, which year on year (2014-2015) grew by almost 100% and still rapidly expanding, this morsel for which you might even want to overpay to get it in their hands.
What’s next browser?
What will happen with the Opera browser, which though still being developed, it is not able to break out from the competition? I see here two scenarios. After the first money from China may give a needed “kick” in the further development of this product and implementing new solutions. Especially since one of the investors, Qihoo 360 Software has in its portfolio a browser business. The browser itself has many advantages, like the great data compression, it lacks perhaps appropriate measures for good publicity.
The second scenario is slightly less optimistic. Although the new owners of the company rather not kill this product, because it is a showcase of the company and still earns (notes even modest, but the increase), it is unlikely to be particularly invest in this branch of business opera. With Chrome, and so rather no one will win, so it’s better to focus on what really makes money: advertising. As a result, we probably, end users do not notice a major change after the acquisition of Opera Software.
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