Facebook looking to buy Opera?


Screenshots of Opera Mini
Opera's browsers allow for a pleasant surfing experience, even on those phones on the low end of the technology spectrum. Opera Mini uses the company's own servers to load up a web site before compressing it and sending it to a phone, thus potentially saving the user from some data charges. Over 168 million people use Opera Mini. Opera Mobile is a third party replacement for a smartphone's stock browser and uses the phone's own technology to render sites.
"It's a classic challenge for a company like this. They're like the Switzerland of mobile. Someone would have to derive meaningful value to take them off of that independent path."-Reuters sources,talking about Opera
Norway's top bank, DNB, says that a buyer of Opera would have to pay 68.6 crowns, or double Friday's close, valuing the company at $1.35 billion. There are other things standing in the way of a Facebook-Opera deal. Opera's founder and top shareholder, Jon S. Von Tetzchner, wants the company to focus on internal growth and says that Opera should reach 500 million users by next year. He says he is not pushing for a takeover. Still, he said he is unaware of a bid but would have to support one if others are in favor of it. One vote in favor of such a deal might come from Opera CEO Lars Boilesen. The executive last October said he would "love to" work with Facebook. Boilesen said, "We are already Facebook's platform of distribution in emerging markets like Africa and India. A big part of the Opera Mini traffic is from Facebook. So we are already their channel in these markets."
Continuing its slump, Facebook dropped nearly 10% on Tuesday to $28.84 a share.
source: Reuters
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