Despite its minuscule share of the desktop market, Opera Software is quite a force in the mobile space, as seen with the tremendous success of its iPhone browser. It is looking to play a bigger role and it just acquired the e-mail provider FastMail.fm to bolster its messaging capabilities.
What does FastMail do? Well, Opera said it offers “some of the most advanced web-based e-mail platforms” for businesses and consumers alike. The company has integrated messaging capabilities into its desktop browser since 2000 and this deal should help it spread this to the mobile space, as well. This could be particularly important in developing countries where Opera has a strong user base and desktops are few.
“The newest generation of web users will discover the web through a mobile device,” said Rolf Assev, chief strategy officer at Opera, in a prepared statement. “Having world-class messaging capability alongside a rich and compelling web experience is essential. By combining forces, Opera and FastMail.fm can offer messaging on any device. This will enhance the value Opera provides to consumers, while assisting operator partners in reducing customer churn.”
It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as a fully integrated messaging client in a browser could be a really good experience. Still, I’m not quite convinced that the integrated experience will surpass a full-fledged, dedicated e-mail client. We’ll see what Opera’s cooking up, though.
[Via Opera]