Rumors are trickling through the blogosphere that Google is going to buy Opera. It's been rumored for some time that Google was working on its own Web browser, thought to be based on open-source software like Mozilla, reflecting its apparent preference to build its own software when possible rather than buying it. But to see this as just about a PC browser is missing the point: this buy would be all about mobile.
Until the release of Google Local for Mobile, the Goog's mobile offerings were pretty wimpy. They're still pretty uneven and incomplete, but Opera could change that. Not just with its mobile browsers, which are as good as they come -- particularly Opera Mini -- but with the Opera Platform it announced last month. Just as Yahoo Mobile offers a ton of individual services, Google could do the same relatively quickly and easily by using the Opera Platform to build its services.
But, again, why buy? Two reasons. First, when Opera changed their business model and made their PC browser free, it was because they started taking search referral payments from the likes of Amazon, eBay and... Google -- the biggest and most important contributor to Opera's revenues. So, in some sense, it's relatively cheap for Google to buy Opera when it saves referral payments.
The second, and biggest reason, again, is mobile. There's a benefit to controlling such a powerful technology on what's becoming such an important medium -- and mobile is only going to get more important. But keep in mind what are Opera's most significant relationships: deals to get its browser on handsets from some of the world's top mobile phone manufacturers. That would be instant traction for Google on some very big real estate.
Posted by Carlo on December 15, 2005 at 02:19 AM in
Until the release of Google Local for Mobile, the Goog's mobile offerings were pretty wimpy. They're still pretty uneven and incomplete, but Opera could change that. Not just with its mobile browsers, which are as good as they come -- particularly Opera Mini -- but with the Opera Platform it announced last month. Just as Yahoo Mobile offers a ton of individual services, Google could do the same relatively quickly and easily by using the Opera Platform to build its services.
But, again, why buy? Two reasons. First, when Opera changed their business model and made their PC browser free, it was because they started taking search referral payments from the likes of Amazon, eBay and... Google -- the biggest and most important contributor to Opera's revenues. So, in some sense, it's relatively cheap for Google to buy Opera when it saves referral payments.
The second, and biggest reason, again, is mobile. There's a benefit to controlling such a powerful technology on what's becoming such an important medium -- and mobile is only going to get more important. But keep in mind what are Opera's most significant relationships: deals to get its browser on handsets from some of the world's top mobile phone manufacturers. That would be instant traction for Google on some very big real estate.
Posted by Carlo on December 15, 2005 at 02:19 AM in
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