Opera acquires Mobile Browser Skyfire for $150 million

Mobile Browser, Opera, which compresses data using the cloud, has acquired its competitor browser, Skyfire. Skyfire Labs that is based in Silicon Valley is a leader when it comes to cloud solutions and mobile video optimization. Opera has acquired its competitor for an amount of $150 million. The acquisition gives Opera, the access to several key technologies surrounding compression of mobile videos.

Skyfire, which is headquartered at Mountain View, is known for its popular Rocket Optimizer Software. The software is capable enough to optimize video and other contents of multimedia which is meant for delivery over congested towers meant for mobile communications. The Rocket Optimizer Software helps mobile service providers to leverage cloud computing on both 3G and 4G networks.

The software is efficient enough to provide a boost of about 60% in capacity when it comes to scaling of multimedia content size. The size of multimedia content can be altered depending on the bandwidth.
The browser of Skyfire is competent and better to pass data through its servers. It then compresses the data and delivers it to mobile devices. The compressed data, in turn, reduces data consumption in mobiles.

Skyfire and Opera browsers are of a similar kind and this make them natural twins in cloud computing. It is expected that the current CEO of Skyfire, Jeffrey Gluek will retain the position even after Opera's acquisition. He is also expected to take over as EVP of Operator Businesses at Opera. The recent acquisition is expected to come to a close by 15th of March and mobile operators are invited to meet Skyfire and Opera at the Mobile World Congress to be held in Barcelona between 25th and 28th of February.