Opera said it has acquired Handster and mobile app platform company should help Opera expand its current offerings of mobile services.
We all know Opera for its mobile browsers and these have tens of millions of users around the world. The company recently began offering an app store in order to capitalize on its large installed base and its brand name.
Handster has a platform which supports Google Android, Java, Symbian, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, netbook and tablet applications and the company has relationships with carriers around the globe.
“Opera is evolving from being a browser company into a fully integrated mobile services company and this acquisition is an important step in that direction. We are delighted to welcome the Handster team into the Opera family. Handster will enable us to strengthen our mobile store offerings to consumers, mobile operators and handset manufacturers,” said Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software, in a prepared statement.
It looks like a smart move by Opera and I will be interested to see how its larger push into the app store space affects companies like GetJar.
[Via Opera]